No Longer the Zeppo 2
by Shannon K
Summary: BTVS and Kindred the Embraced crossover. This is a sequel to No Longer the Zeppo and is Xander centric.
1. Chapter 1

No Longer the Zeppo 2

By Shannon K

A/N: This is a sequel to No Longer the Zeppo, a BTVS/Kindred the Embraced crossover story. It might be best if you read the first story to understand where I am going with this story. It is set after the closing of the Hellmouth.

Xander is my primary focus in this story once again. I am not a true Buffy-hater; I just like the character of Xander more. Characters not from BTVS refer to Xander as Alex, as a way to show that he has changed, and is no longer the goof-ball that the Sunnydale people still associate him as being. Tara had not died in this story, though Anya has. I will admit to hating the character of Kennedy though, and in my universe, she's dead. This story should be consider AU because I had Xander move to San Francisco after season four and has become a member of the Gangrel clan and I changed/ignored/did not allow to happen in my happy world certain events. My goal was to give Xander a darker edge, while staying true to the character's spirit. If you find any thing that is horrifyingly wrong (especially when I describe San Francisco – I've never been there and am basing things off travel guides and stuff on the internet), please let me know or just chalk it up to my bizarre imagination.

I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language once again, along with descriptions of feeding/blood, drinking, sex, and violence. However, other than the language, I don't do overly graphic scenes – it's not my bag (sorry – I've been watching Austin Powers again).

Prologue

"So what now," a tired and dirty Buffy Summers asked her mentor and friend, Giles. They had all just fought the battle of their lives. Many of the potential Slayers had died in the fight, despite the fact that their potential had been awakened by an incredibly powerful spell performed by Willow.

She was just happy to see that her sister, Willow, Tara (Willow's girlfriend), Giles, Faith, Robin, and Alexia had survived. Unfortunately Anya, Spike, Kennedy, and at least a dozen other Potentials had died in the fight. Buffy dreaded having to explain to Alexia, who was currently nestled in Dawn's lap that her mother had be killed by the Bringers she and Andrew had faced.

Giles had pulled the bus off the highway and into a rest stop. The survivors of the final battle sat at picnic tables in a shelter, looking exhausted, filthy, and kind of lost. They need a purpose and something they could focus on, rather than sorrow that they all felt.

"The Watchers need to be rebuilt," Giles said. "The headquarters in England are gone, but they do have places elsewhere. The offices in Rome are quite large. I was thinking of starting there to begin the rebuilding process. We also need to find the other newly called Slayers and offer them training. We also need to find Xander and let him know about Anya and Alexia. He has a right to know."

"But where is he? He totally disappeared three years ago. He could be anywhere," Willow said, her head resting tiredly on Tara's shoulder.

"He told us he was moving to San Francisco. He could still be there. Maybe you could try a locating spell or something to help us," Dawn offered, looking at the two witches with hope in her eyes. She missed Xander something fierce, despite his rejection of the Scooby-gang.

"I wasn't that close to him, so I don't know if I could do it," Tara said.

"I need at least a day or two to rest, magically speaking. The awakening spell pretty much drained me of magical energy," Willow whispered. She was wiped out. The energy it had taken to work the spell had tapped all of her reserves, leaving her pretty much power-less.

"Or you could always try the phone book," Faith said, as biting and as sarcastic as ever. She really didn't care what Red and B did, but it bothered her that they were quick about using magic to solve simple problems. _Shit, they can do what they want_, she thought to herself. She wanted out, away from the group and if she said anything, she would be further tied to Buffy, the Scoobies, and the baby Slayers.

"We don't have to do it today," Buffy reasoned, also looking tired herself. "We need to find a motel. We're all tired and need some sleep." The whole ordeal with the Turok-Han, the Bringers, and the First Evil had been the most exhausting thing she had ever experienced in her life. All she wanted now was a shower, dinner, a clean bed, and at least eight hours of sleep. Once those things were taken care of, she was sure that she could face things to come.

A/N: It's short, I know, but go ahead and hit the shiny review button and brighten my life just a bit. I lead a sad life.

This story will probably be slower in being posted because I don't have it completely finished (though it is thoroughly outlined) due to craziness over the holiday break and the insanity that is my life (my life is a soap-opera at times it seems). Please have patience. I would rater post something that is decent than complete crap.

Also, someone has to serve as a moral compass in the prologue, so I chose Faith. That character was always to tell it how it was, despite all of the obvious flaws that the character possessed. It could have been anybody that could have objected to always using magic; Faith just made more sense.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Thank you to those that took the time to read my story. There are a lot better stories out there, so thank you for giving me a chance. Also thank you to those that have posted a review, put me on a c2 list, put me on their alert list, or on their favorites' list. It was incredibly kind of you to do so.

Warning: Potty language once again (yeah, the f-word is pretty much my favorite word in the English language it seems), along with descriptions of feeding/blood, drinking, sex, and violence. However, I promise, outside of the language, I won't be graphic about it.

They had gotten home a little before five in the morning. It had been a long night for the both of them. Not only did they spend several hours chasing down a dead-end lead on the whereabouts of some Pruflas demons that were rumored to be trying to unleash chaos upon the city, they also had to spend time at Luna's home being civil towards other Kindred. While neither Alex nor Emily minded Luna, in fact they had much respect for the prince, neither of them wanted to be around the Brujah. Now they were home, getting their well deserved and much needed sleep.

At some point, Alex was pulled out of his heavy slumber by a persistent knocking. "I swear if it's those Hamlin kids selling something again, I swear I'm going to fucking drain them dry," Alex growled, though without any real menace behind the words. He actually liked the kids and bought whatever they were selling for school, church, or their sports teams.

"Go see who it is," Emily mumbled, reaching out blindly to push her lover and best friend out of the bed. "Be careful," she cautioned, then went back to sleep.

Alex, nee Xander, Harris yawned and stretched. He grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt off the floor. He figured that the Hamlin kids did not need to see him sans clothes.

The knocking had now changed into a pounding on the heavy, wooden front door.

Crossing the living room of their two bedroom (there was a tiny third bedroom that they had converted into an office) row house, Alex stumbled his way to the door. He was barely awake and was glad to see that they had pulled the heavy drapes across the windows when they had arrived back home that morning. Burning himself on the sun's rays was not a way he wanted to wake up fully.

"I'm coming! Christ! Hold on would you?" he yelled at the person or persons beyond the door. A dim and still asleep part of his brain refused to acknowledge that there was no way the Hamlin kids could have hammered on the door like that.

"Yeah?" he snarled as he swung open the door.

"Xander?" a short, skinny, blonde woman asked her fist paused in the air now that the door had been moved.

Alex took a step back, his eyes wide at the sight of the person that was standing in his doorway. The front porch was covered, keeping the rare, early morning sun from hitting his unprotected body.

"Buffy?" he asked. He then looked beyond her and saw the red headed Willow standing there in the Slayer's shadow, literally and figuratively. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Alex asked in shock.

"Hey there Xander," Willow called. "It's been awhile."

Alex looked between the two women, carefully concealing any feelings of alarm. Seeing Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg on his front step was the last thing he expected to see. "Yeah, it's been like what, two years?"

"Three years actually," Buffy said, a big smile on his face. She had truly missed Xander. Several times she caught herself longing for him to be there, by her side, helping to fight the good fight. She even briefly wondered what the final battle between the First, Scoobies, and the Potentials would have been like. _Probably a much lower body count_, she mussed to herself.

"Oh, well, what can I do for you?" he asked, wearily looking between his old friends from his hometown.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other, matching looks of apprehension on their faces.

"Can we come in?" Buffy asked and moved like she was just going to walk in with or without his permission. Unfortunately, Alex blocked her way, barring her free entry.

"No," Alex said. "Give me fifteen minutes and we can go somewhere," he said and closed the door, but not before both Buffy and Willow caught a glimpse of a woman in a barely-covering 49ers t-shirt and shorts standing behind the Xander. They both wondered who she was.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other in surprise, shocked that their friend would keep them out of his home. They were equally surprised when they heard the dull snapping of a deadbolt being slid into place.

"Why would he do that?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Willow replied, equally shocked. She could not see why her friend would not let them in. Determined to find out what was going on, she placed her hand on the door and drew enough energy to herself so she could magically force the bolt back.

Unfortunately, all she got was a rebounding effect from her efforts. She tried again, drawing on more energy, but got the same result, only stronger. The power that she put out came back at her, zapping her somewhat like an electric shock would.

Willow looked all around the door and the frame, puzzled. "It's almost as if Xander has wards in place," she murmured to herself. "Why would he do that?"

Buffy shrugged, looking puzzled. It didn't seem like it was necessary for her to kick the door in just yet, but she would keep that as a reserve tactic, just in case. She didn't like the unknown or surprises.

Fifteen minutes later, just as promised, Alex opened up the door, showered, shaved, and fully dressed. He was wearing black jeans and a simple short-sleeve black button down shirt over a white t-shirt with black, well worn boots.

Emily was behind him, her blue eyes intense and searching. She did not trust the humans in the least bit. They represented a threat to the Masquerade and she did not trust their intentions. Buffy and Willow, easily recognizable from a picture Alex had once shown her, had treated Alex pretty badly, using him while at the same time ignoring him, and she worried that they would push their way into his life and try to get Alex to join them. She didn't believe for a second that Alex would leave her; she was confident in their love. However, she did fear that they would discover Alex's secrets and expose the Kindred when he rejected them.

Standing well within the shelter of the house she called to her lover. "Alex," she said, unable to say anything beyond that, but she knew that he understood what she was thinking.

He gave her an easy grin and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her hard, pressing her body into his. She couldn't help herself and wrapped her long legs around him, holding on to his neck. Emily ground her hips into his, feeling him harden. A part of her wanted to grab him, slam the door in the humans' faces and fuck Alex on the hallway floor right then and there.

"Excuse me guys," Buffy fake-coughed, reminding the pair that they had an audience. She and Willow were both a bit red-faced over their display of affection.

Alex and Emily broke apart, grinning; neither of them was embarrassed in the least. Hell they had been caught by others doing more than just kiss. At the last Gangrel full moon party, they had been clearly seen fucking each other's brains out.

"Call me if anything comes up. I've got my cell," he told Emily.

She nodded. "Be careful," she cautioned once again and then closed the door, leaving Alex to face the girls from Sunnydale.

Alex turned and faced his old friends, from his old life. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked, looking at his watch which read eight thirty.

Buffy looked at Willow who only shrugged. "No we haven't." She would have continued but Alex interrupted her.

"Okay, follow me. There's a Denny's a few streets over," Alex said, noticing the Ford Escape with rental tags sitting in front of his home. He then pushed past them and went down the flight of steps to the street level and proceeded to open the garage door.

In the garage, he ignored the car and went to the motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson FXTB Night Train in vivid black. The motorcycle had lace wheels, with a 1450cc cam engine, a staggered chrome exhaust and muffler, drag style handlebars, and a 200mm wide rear tire. Alex loved everything about it, from its black paint to its foot pegs. He had bought it with the rewards from doing a particularly difficult job he had done for Luna the prior year. Outside of Emily, it was the one thing he truly loved and was attached to.

He knew that the others had followed him and had seen the bike, along with the car, Emily's metallic blue Camry, and his small woodworking area. Alex knew that Buffy and Willow were shocked that their Xander would own such a thing.

"You like," he asked as he backed it out of the garage.

Willow couldn't help the disapproving look on her face. She had always believed that motorcycles were too dangerous to ride.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Buffy said out loud, the look on her face mirroring the one on Willow's face. She thought only an insane person would ride one.

Alex turned his head towards the Slayer and grinned as he slipped on his sunglasses. While the sun wouldn't kill him now, it did hurt his eyes. "I do what I want, Buff. Besides, isn't everything considered dangerous these days?" he inquired. "Follow me," he ordered and started up the engine, not wanting to hear any protests or objections about his choice of mode of transportation.

He waited for the humans to get up to speed, before he took off, heading down the street. Mentally he prayed that his old friends would somehow get lost and never find their way to the Denny's or even back to his house, but he knew that was not going to happen. He was glad to see that it was Willow behind the wheel; he didn't have to worry about Buffy's driving skills causing him to wipe out and destroy the bike. He remembered what had happened to her mother's car when they had the Band Candy incident back in high school – a life time ago so it seemed.

They made it to Denny's, and Alex led them inside, hoping that what ever they wanted could soon be resolved and they would once again be out of his life for good.

A/N: So what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse. Also, I do not own Denny's, though I am a big fan of the place, especially late at night and after church (yes, I do go to church…and I am ignoring the shocked gasps).

Because Tara did not die in my universe, Willow did not go super dark. Since Xander wouldn't be there to pull her back from destroying the world, I figure that no one else would be able to do it; my solution was to not have that sequence of events happen. Willow did not learn her lesson about arrogance, responsibility, and magic, and is still cocky about her ability to do magic. I feel that the character of Willow represents how insecure we all can be about ourselves and our talents and I want to kind of explore that aspect a bit here. What do you think?

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I do appreciate it. An even bigger thank you to those that took the time to leave me a review; your comments and encouragement do help me out in the writing process.

Warning: Potty language once again.

* * *

Alex got them a booth in the back in the non-smoking section. He sat down, his back to the wall, and would not scoot over, thus forcing Willow and Buffy to sit next to each other. He did not want to invite any chumminess or create an overly sociable reunion between old friends. However, he did position himself in a stream of sunshine, to help him show that he wasn't overly different from his days in Sunnydale. He knew that Buffy and Willow had only experienced the vampires from the Hellmouth and if they would notice anything different, seeing him sitting in the sunlight would definitely reassure them that he wasn't a vampire.

He hated to do it, but he took off his sunglasses, trying not to squint too much in the bright light.

"So what's going on? Why are you here in San Francisco?" Alex asked the minute the waitress had taken their drink orders and handed them menus. While he could eat human food, he wasn't in the mood for it. All he did was order some coffee and ignored the menu. "What happened in Sunnydale?"

"What did you hear?" Buffy asked, looking at the menu before her. She could not decide if she wanted the fruit-filled pancake meal or the All-American Grand Slam.

"Rumor has it that some big evil came to town and somebody, presumable you guys, destroyed the town to stop it. Most people think that's crazy and are willing to accept the ridiculous idea of a massive sinkhole naturally occurring and destroying the entire town."

Willow smiled slightly. "What do you think happened?"

Alex looked at her in slight annoyance. "Yeah, I totally buy the story about the sinkhole. Come on, we're talking about a Hellmouth here. I suspect you guys had something to do with the town no longer existing."

Buffy also smiled. They had fought a massive battle and had won, despite the losses; it was a victory none-the-less. "Yeah, we had something to do with it. Something called The First Evil came to town. It would appear to people as someone that had died, and screw with their minds, spreading fear, chaos, and creating more deaths. It also brought to town, these demons called Turok-Han which were uber-vampires that couldn't be killed with the normal stake to the heart," she explained, missing Xander's wince at the mention of a stake to the heart. While a simple stake to the heart wouldn't kill his kind, it would put them in a death-like state and when he had seen it done to someone that had threatened the Masquerade, it looked painful as all hell.

"Yeah, so," Willow chimed in, "we had these super evil vampires and these other things, they used to be humans at one point, called the Bringers that wanted to herald in a new age of demon rule on Earth. They were killing all potential slayers, hoping to end the line of the Slayer, therefore ruining any competition."

"Giles, who's in Rome right now, plus the few surviving watchers – most of them had been killed in a mass bombing of the old headquarters in London, started gathering all of the Potentials and sent them to Sunnydale for protection and to help us fight what was trying to kill them," Buffy added to the tale.

"That's nice, but I'm not seeing how this explains how Sunnydale became the largest sinkhole in the world. Also, why did this First Evil decide to become the John Wayne Gacy of potential Slayers," Alex said, wishing they would hurry up with their story.

They were briefly interrupted by the waitress who took their orders. Once she was gone, they continued with their tale.

"Supposedly we woke it up when we, I mean, me, Anya, Tara, and Dawn performed a certain spell. There were consequences that I guess we weren't aware of. It sounded like a good idea at the time," Willow said, clearly uncomfortable.

"What did you do?" Alex asked, looking at the red-headed witch with a certain amount of trepidation.

"Before this, we had to deal with a hell-goddess called Glory. She wanted to use Dawn's blood to open the portal to Hell and unleash her kingdom on Earth. Why do they always want to make Earth into a new Hell? Isn't it bad enough that K-Fed has a CD of his crap-tacular music?" Buffy asked, as random as ever.

"I don't think I even want to know why a hell-goddess wanted Dawn's blood," Alex muttered. "What happened that was so bad that you had to do a, most-likely forbidden, spell?"

"Glory cut Dawn and her blood opened up the portal to Hell. To close it, Dawn would have to die. Instead, I leaped off the scaffolding and went through the apparition, and died in the process. Dawn was something called the Key, pure energy that a bunch of monks were sworn to protect. When they realized that they could not protect the Key any longer, they sent it to me, in the form of a human girl that they caused everyone to believe was my sister. All of our memories of Dawn growing up are false. They created her from my blood, hoping that I could protect her. Since her blood opened the portal, her blood would close it and since she was made from my blood, I was able to close it," Buffy explained.

"Dawn's not really your sister? Somebody fucked with my mind, giving me false memories? No offense to Dawn, of course. How is she doing?" Alex was pissed that someone messed with mind. "And what do you mean you died? You look pretty alive to me."

Willow looked disapproving with Xander's use of the f-word. "Dawn's doing fine these days, despite everything. Yes, your memories of Dawn are all false. She became fully human once she fulfilled her role in according to the prophesy. She's as normal and powerless as you are." She truly did not mean that as an insult, but realized how bad it sounded once the words left her mouth.

Alex sat back against the padded back seat and glared at the witch. That was one of the things that he really hated about being with the Scoobies: the constant reminder that they thought normal humans were useless and those with power were all that mattered. He did his best to keep his temper and ignored the barb. "What about the dying part? What happened with that?"

"Buffy died when she jumped off the platform and through the portal. Everyone was really broken up by it, especially Spike. I've never seen a vampire so depressed," Willow explained.

"Spike's around? I would have figured someone would have dusted him by now," Alex said, sarcasm in his voice. He never did like the Billy Idol wanna-be vampire.

"Yeah, Spike was there, but he's gone, he sacrificed himself in the final battle. Long story about him, but just to let you know, he got his soul back," Willow said. "So Buffy died, and I thought Buffy's soul was trapped in hell because she died an unnatural death. Therefore we brought her back from the dead."

"When exactly did you do this?"

"About three months maybe after the fight with Glory. I pretty much raised the dead." She didn't mean to sound proud of what she had done, but she could not help the smugness from creeping into her voice. It had been a very difficult spell to do after all, proving what a powerful witch she was.

"Oh my God, you started messing around with necromancy? Are you out of your fucking mind?" Alex hissed, pissed and astonished that Willow would have the balls to do something like that. _Fuck_, he thought, _does she even recognize the Three-Fold Law?_

"Okay, so it wasn't a good idea because it turned out that Buffy was in Heaven. I screwed up. Okay? Goddess, don't you think I know that? Because we messed up the natural order of things, we allowed the First to come to town," Willow admitted, irritated that Xander would object to her actions. They had gotten Buffy back, at a terrible cost, but having her alive was better than the alternative, in her opinion.

Alex shook his head. He was suddenly overly thankful he had left Sunnydale. Knowing Buffy and Willow, who had apparently lost her mind, they would have gotten him seriously hurt, if not killed.

"So why did Sunnydale get turned into a waste land?" Alex pressed.

"Well we soon realized that we were losing the battle and needed more firepower to stop the First Evil and its followers. We decided to call up the Potentials and make them full Slayers to help us stop the Turok-Han and close the Hellmouth for good. As a side effect, the town got sucked in. We barely escaped, but many of the others died in the battle," Buffy explained.

"How many of the Potentials got full Slayer powers? It only affected the ones in Sunnydale right?" Alex asked. He knew that this could be important information for the Kindred. While the Slayers had never bothered the Kindred before, both kinds staying off each other's radars, that didn't mean it would always be that way. Now with more Slayers in the world, the odds that they would be discovered would be greatly increased. He knew that Luna would definitely want this information. So in spite of his instinct to get away from the former Sunnydale residents as fast as possible, he resigned himself to sitting in Denny's, sipping crappy coffee, listening to the women's tale.

"No, the spell called all of them. All around the world, girls instantly became Slayers," Willow said proudly.

"How many were called?" Alex asked, horrified that Willow and Buffy would do such a thing. Not only was he worried about the potential threat that these new Slayers posed, but he was horrified that his former friends would do something so _wrong_.

Buffy shrugged. "Probably around a thousand, I don't know for sure." She didn't seem all that bothered by what they had done.

"How the fuck could you do that? You raped young girls of their free will, forcing them into being Slayers! You took away their lives without their permission," Alex accused them.

Buffy and Willow both blanched at what Xander was saying. No one had ever suggested to them that this was a bad idea.

"I can understand if the only ones who were to get called were the ones in Sunnydale. At least they knew what they were getting into, but you took away all of those other girls' innocence," Alex pressed. "They didn't ask for this, they had normal lives and you fucking destroyed that. I hope it was worth it."

Buffy got red in the face. "We had no other choice!" she said hotly. "Besides, I had my destiny ripped away from me. What's the difference?"

"The difference is _you_ did this to others. You knew better. I would have figured you would understand what it was like to have all of your choices taken away from you and pushed into a life that you didn't choose. It sucked for you, I won't deny that, but that doesn't make it okay for you to do the same," Alex spit. "Shit, did you even think about the consequences of your actions? Wasn't there another way to do this? What about that Army guy you were so hot for your freshman year in college? Couldn't he have helped?"

"I didn't want to involve the government in this. I don't trust them not to screw us over in the end."

"So instead, you screwed over a bunch of girls. Great choice Buffy, that's real great," Alex snarled. "You didn't want to get screwed yourself, but were more than willing to fuck-over a bunch of strangers."

Willow looked between Buffy and Xander, noticing the waves of anger coming off the both of them. She didn't want Buffy to lose it and end up hurting Xander. "Come on guys, let's not fight about this. What's done is done."

Alex looked at the witch with some degree of contempt, but chose to hold his tongue. He knew what the witch was thinking: _have to protect Xander; he doesn't know what he's doing._

When he was certain he wasn't going too verbally or physically blast Buffy, he found his voice. "What about the people in town? Did any of them make it out before you shit-canned the place?" he said, sitting back in the booth. He was thankful his mother had left Sunnydale two years prior, after his father had died. At least he knew she was safe, living in Chicago with her sister.

"Most of the town's people got out well before the final battle – both humans and demons not belonging to the First. Even the normal vampires ran off," Buffy explained, also sitting back in her chair. A part of her wanted to smack Xander for questioning her judgment. He hadn't been there; he didn't know what it had been like and how bad it had gotten. _Hell_, she thought contemptuously, _if he had been there, he would have just gotten in the way._ Buffy ignored how that sentiment was a one-eighty from her earlier thoughts about how much better things would have gone if Xander had been with them in Sunnydale. She was pissed that Xander had questioned her judgment.

"Anybody I know not make it out?" Alex asked.

At this Buffy and Willow both looked at each other.

"Anya died in the final battle. I'm sorry Xan," Willow said. While she hadn't been a big fan of Anya, she had come to respect and even admire the ex-demon for her strength and willingness to be a single mother, especially one on a Hellmouth. She braced herself for a strong reaction from Xander.

"Oh. That's too bad. I am sorry," he said as he swallowed a mouthful of the distasteful coffee, not reacting the way the other's expected him to. While he was not feeling a well of joy at hearing about Anya's death, he no longer had an emotional attachment to her. He had Emily and that was enough.

Buffy and Willow, though, were surprised at the lack of Xander being extremely upset over this revelation. He and Anya had seriously dated before he had left. Therefore, in their minds, Xander should have been crying to the sky and beating his chest with great emotion. All they got instead was a shrug and a simple acknowledgement of her passing.

Their food arrived and the humans dug eagerly into their plates while Alex continued to drink his coffee.

"So what have you been doing with yourself Xan? What's with the tats and the earring?" Buffy asked when she was able to take a break in eating.

Alex looked down at his left bicep. His shirt sleeve did not entirely cover the black inked wolf and the tribal-looking bracelets around his wrists were in plain view. "It's just something that I got done a couple of year ago with some friends. I was drunk when I had the wolf done and the wrists were later. The earring," he shrugged, "was recent. Em hates it though, along with the tats. As for work, I was in construction, but it started to bore me. Now, I work with some friends building custom cabinetry. We have our own business and are doing pretty good."

"So who's the woman at your house?" Willow asked, curious as to whom the good looking woman was. Not that she was looking, for she had Tara, but she couldn't help but notice. "Have you been together long?"

"That would be Em, Emily I mean. We met three years ago," Alex replied.

"What does she do? Are you married?" Buffy asked, checking his left hand for a ring.

There were no rings on either of his hands.

"Emily works at the Botanical Gardens here in San Francisco. No we aren't married, but we aren't just seeing each other," he said, guarded. He was really getting tired of sitting here talking to his ex-friends. "Why are you two really here?"

Willow looked taken aback. To her, Xander sounded like he wasn't glad to see them after being gone for so long. "We wanted to see you Xander. We've missed you and we also thought that you should be told about Anya. Aren't you glad to see us too?"

Alex looked slightly bored and skeptical at Willow's words. "Sure," he said, his words definitely not matching the tome in his voice, nor the look on his face.

Buffy also looked surprised at the idea that Xander wasn't glad to have them there. "We missed you Xan. We wanted to see how you are doing and ask you if you would want to come with us to Rome. Giles is re-starting the Watcher's Council and creating a training academy for the new Slayers and we're the teachers, along with Faith, who's out of prison by the way. There's a new Slayer here in San Francisco and we need to let her know what is going on and offer her a chance to come with us. We were also hoping that maybe you would want to come with us, so here we are."

"No."

"What do you mean _no_?" Buffy asked, perplexed. She was not used to people telling her no. "We need you. There's a lot to do with fixing up the new headquarters and you're good at building stuff."

"Just what it means, no. In case you haven't noticed, I have a life here. I have Emily, a job, and friends here. If you want your new clubhouse remodeled, go hire a general contractor or Ty Pennington even. I'm not interested," Alex asked, disgusted at the idea that they would think he would drop everything to go and follow them half way around the world. The Kindred aside, there was no good reason for him to leave all that he had worked for.

"But Xan," Willow began but winced when Buffy kicked her in the ankle, stopping her from saying whatever she was about to say.

"Also, I don't go by Xander anymore. It was a nice childhood nickname, but now that I am all grown up, I prefer Alex. Thanks for asking if I wanted to re-join the Scoobies, but those days are long gone." He would have said more, but his cell phone rang, interrupting his train of thought.

"Harris."

Pause.

"Yeah, where?" he asked, looking off into the distance.

Pause.

"Are you sure this time? Last night was a bust and I don't want a repeat."

Longer pause.

"Fine, I'll meet you there in about thirty minutes. Call Emily and tell her to bring my gear. I'm out with some former friends from my hometown and I don't have time to go back home and get everything. See you soon." With that he snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his back pocket.

"I have to get going. I've got some stuff to take care of. Good luck with Rome and the new Watchers' Council," he said, glad that the reunion was almost over.

"But," Buffy began, "there's other stuff we need to tell you. Can we get together later today?"

"Sorry. I've got plans and need to get going. The guys will have a fit if I'm late and it's not worth hearing them bitch. Call me and you can tell me then," he said, scribbling his cell number on a napkin. He dug out his wallet and pulled out a twenty and a ten. "That should cover the bill. Take care of yourselves and thanks for telling me about Anya."

With that, he walked out the door, leaving the longest surviving Slayer and her best friend behind.

"But we didn't get to tell him about Alexia!" Willow fumed. "That's his daughter and Anya wanted him to raise her if she couldn't."

"Something's up with him. Xander wasn't all talkative about his life, like he was back in Sunnydale. He seems different. What if he's into drugs or is in a gang? We can't leave Alexia with him if he's doing something dangerous! God, he should never have left Sunnydale. I don't see how he's managed to survive here in San Francisco," Buffy spun a false scenario out of control. She was only seeing her high school buddy as a Zeppo, as someone that needed her to take care of and protect. She could not allow herself to see that her Xander had grown up a long time ago and no longer needed a great protector, if he ever did in the first place.

"So what do we do now?' Willow asked.

"We'll follow him. We have to know that he's not doing anything stupid before we tell him about Alexia. We owe it to her," Buffy said and grabbed her purse.

Willow was forced to follow along, wondering if this was such a good idea. She knew that they could easily go back to Xander's place and wait for him there. She was not sure how well Xander would take to them spying on him. But Buffy was the Slayer, so she knew what she was doing, right?

* * *

A/N: Be a pal and hit the shiny review button. It really perks up a crap-tacular day when I see a review sitting in my inbox…what a sad life I lead…

Thanks again for taking the time to read; an especially big thank you to those that took the time to drop me a review. Your comments are always helpful…you know who you are.

Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Also, I've never been to Oakland and know very little about the city other than it is the home to the Raiders (whom I hate b/c I am a long-time KC Chiefs fan). I figure that every city has a crappy, rundown section and I am basing it off a derelict area near where I grew up (we can't all come from Beverly Hills).

Mokiefraggle, love the name btw, thanks for the bit about the no smoking law. What a bunch of crap (even though I don't smoke). I've never been to California, so I didn't know.

Warning: Potty language and violence

* * *

Alex left the diner, glad to be out in the open, despite the annoying sunshine. He was happy to be away from the Slayer and the witch. Being around them made him all twitchy and his instincts screamed at him to run away, or kill them.

He started the bike and it roared to life up on command. He thought he noticed a slight hitch in the motor and made a mental note to have Paul look at it soon. He was no mechanic and relied on his fellow Gangrel for help with the maintenance and upkeep of his motorcycle and the car. It hurt his pride just a bit when he realized that Emily knew more about engines that he did. _But_, he reasoned to himself, _nobody wields a hammer and drywalls better than me_. _That_ has _to count for something_.

He weaved through the city's hilly and winding streets, crossing the bay into Oakland. Willow had a difficult time following Xander and making sure she stayed back far enough that he wouldn't notice that he was being followed. Twice she had to employ a directional spell to help her trail Xander.

It was a simple spell but she found it took more energy and effort to cast it. She had noted that since the closing of the Hellmouth, working spells that she had used countless times before had become more difficult. It worried her that she was loosing her ability to work magic. What really worried her was the idea that if she would loose all of her ability as a witch, Buffy would no longer need her and cast her aside. She didn't want to be a useless, normal person. She wanted to be strong and powerful, needed.

Before too long, Alex came to a stop on a side street in a rundown section of the city that was suffering from a permanent case of urban blight. Three other motorcycles were parked outside a burnt out shell that had once been someone's home, along with Emily's Camry and an unfamiliar truck.

Alex climbed off the bike and went over to greet the others that were waiting for him. Lonnie, Paul (the two Gangrel he had first met in that bar when he was being tested to see if he was worthy of joining the ranks of the Kindred), and Cavan, along with Emily and Cash, of all people.

"What's up guys? Emily thanks for bringing the stuff. Cash," he greeted his sire with a certain amount of respect. Cash was one that was not to be fucked with. While the Primogen was easy-going and pretty laid back, he did not take anyone's crap. If the situation called for it, he would easily slit you open and make you eat your own intestines, or he could just as easily buy you a beer.

"Daedelus told me to tell you good luck and to warn you that the demons have some humans with them. He said something about sacrificing them to their god as a way to welcome him back to the world. He also said something about portals and pathways that in no way did I understand," Cash shrugged and took a drag from his ever present cigarette.

"Let's all give a cheer for the oh-so-original thinking demons. Why do they always have to try to bring their demon-gods back to planet Earth? Can't they just adopt a puppy or something?" Alex quipped as he busied himself taking off his button up shirt and strapping on a lightweight bullet proof vest. While getting shot or stabbed by anything conventional wouldn't kill him, if would slow him down, if not incapacitate him to the point of being a liability to the others. He then covered up the vest with his outer shirt, so as to not be so obvious. "Not to be rude, but why are you here? You could have told us that over the phone. Also, whose truck is that?"

"Mine," Cavan replied, busy checking to see if he had everything that he needed. "The bike's in the shop. Fuckin' blew the engine last night."

Cash shrugged, not taking offense at Alex's line of questioning. The thing he always liked about the former Sunnydale resident was that the kid wasn't one for ass-kissing, nor was he afraid to speak his mind. "Luna doesn't want the humans harmed if it can be helped. Also, Daedelus told me that I should be here for some unknown reason. He said something about friends of the past that I didn't get. Don't get me wrong, I respect the Nosferatu, but Cain as my witness, I don't get him sometimes."

"No one does," Alex agreed with his sire. Daedelus was able to see into a world that was beyond many of them. The Primogen of the Nosferatu was a powerful mage and had an instinct about the more mystical aspects of the world that was more accurate than not. While he would sometimes go on about weird shit, most of the time it was shit worth listening to.

"Bullshit, you get him more than anyone outside of the Nosferatu," Cash shot back at his childe.

Alex just smiled and shook his head as he busied himself loading his weapon, a Remington twelve-gauge pump action shotgun. Once that was done he checked the H&K P10 he also carried. Gone were the days of doing into battle with crossbows and a stake. He refused to go into a fight under prepared.

Cash was right; he did understand Daedelus more than most people did. The Primogen had once postulated that he had a natural talent for magic that was being blocked by the malevolent energies given off by the Hellmouth. Once he had been embraced, the process of becoming Kindred had burned away the barriers created by the mystical entrance to Hell. Once they were gone, he had been able to tap into a natural talent of wielding magic. He did worry that things could get out of control. As a result he was pretty reluctant to use the heavy duty magic that he had at his disposal, using it only if he was in an extremely bad situation. Also, the smaller stuff, like minor incantations and spells he avoided, much to Daedelus' consternation. He figured that if he could do it with his own two hands, why bother with the fancy stuff; he preferred the simple and direct approach best. However, if the need was there, he wouldn't hesitate in using his abilities to protect his fellow Gangrels and the Masquerade.

Soon they were ready to move out. The street they were on was a dead end street, with a couple of abandoned houses and out-of-business stores that had been condemned by the city, several empty lots, and a derelict brick and corrugated metal building that looked as if were about to fall down if it got too windy.

"How does Daedelus know to find the Pruflas demons here?" Emily whispered as they walked down the street.

"He's got contacts everywhere," Cash muttered, looking around him darkly. He had a feeling that they were being watched, but he couldn't detect anyone in the vicinity. He stole a look over at Alex who also looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know," he said, looking slightly pissed. "Who ever it is, I don't think they mean harm. Yet," he grumbled. He did have his suspicions though, further pissing him off.

What they felt, but could not see, was Buffy and Willow, who was working a concealment spell, hiding their presence from their old friend and his new friends.

Buffy did not like the looks of these people that Xander was hanging around. They looked wild and dangerous, especially the guy with the wild and messy blond hair. He looked dodgy and mean (though a part of her recognized that he also looked sexy as all hell). She took note that the woman she had seen at Xander's home was there, looking tough and hard, wearing jeans, a tight black t-shirt, and boots. She looked like a biker's girlfriend, not at all the type that Xander would be interested in.

What she especially did not like were the weapons that were on display. She could easily see the shotguns and handguns that the people were carrying. Much to her disbelief and disappointment, she saw that Xander was also carrying firearms.

_God, he must have joined a gang,_ she thought. _Xander didn't belong doing whatever he was doing. He's only going to get himself hurt,_ she raged to herself. _We should never have let him leave us three years ago._

Buffy looked over at Willow. The witch had a tight grip on the steering wheel, so tight her knuckles were white. She had her eyes screwed shut and was chanting in some unintelligible language.

"They've gone inside that building at the end of the street. Let's go," Buffy announced once the six people had stepped off the street and into the rundown building.

Willow, relived that she could stop her chanting, eagerly let the spell slide, revealing their presence to an empty street. Sighing, she climbed out of the car, trying to shake off the dizziness that the spell had caused.

Together, they darted down the street; Willow was out of breath trying to keep up with the Slayer, whom she knew was holding herself back for her sake.

They stole around to the backside of the building, picking their way carefully across the lot, avoiding trash and scrap metal; there were a couple of things that they would rather not think about in the debris that they barely avoided tripping over.

From within the building were shouts and screams that were heard over the sound of intermittent gunfire.

Buffy, deciding to not worry about making any noise, for she figured that anything they produced would in no way be heard over the noisy din. She grabbed a hold of a rotten piece of plywood that had been used to cover a broken window and pulled. It pulled away from the frame of the building, the sound of rending nails and wood barely registering over the racket from inside the structure. Once the window was clear, she boosted herself inside and then offered Willow a hand, helping her inside as well.

Once inside, they found themselves in a back room, probably once an office, but now it was filled with trash and what looked like, rat droppings. The door was barely hanging on by its one remaining hinge. Buffy pushed that door open and found herself in an empty room. The noise, she realized must have been coming from the basement. She also detected a familiar tang of fresh and old blood in the air.

_God, Xander's probably bleeding to death,_ Buffy groaned to herself. _Why can't he just stay out of things?_

Looking around, Willow spied the open stairwell that presumably led to the basement and the source for all of the noise. They only went down a few steps before they were able to see the bloodbath that had taken place. Both women stood there in shock. They had never seen such a macabre sight before. Granted they had seen plenty of dead bodies in their lives and many aftermaths of demonic activity, but this was just gross.

Blood was everywhere. It was on the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the people in the room, along with the demons. While the humans looked like they had been splattered with blood, the demons looked as if they had taken a blood shower. The smell was meaty and intense. It permeated their nostrils, drowning out any other smell in the place.

The demons, what color they were originally, Buffy could not tell with all the blood on them, stood over six feet tall on two thick legs, had armor-like scales over most of their backside, a face like an alligator, and a swishy horse-like tail. What was really gross, besides the blood, was the lizard tongue that lapped at the blood greedily from a mouth that glistened with rows upon rows of shark-like teeth. The talons at the end of the stumpy arms were bad enough, but the teeth were simply dreadful. The teeth had bits caught between them; some of it looked like human skin and hair.

Scattered around the basement, lying haphazardly about, were bodies. Some of them had been beheaded; from the looks of it, it seemed that the heads had been simply pulled off from the neck and shoulders. Other bodies had their limbs torn off like a Thanksgiving turkey's drumstick. However, all of the remains had one thing in common: They all had huge bite marks taken out of them.

"Oh goddess," Willow breathed, clamping a hand over her mouth as she took in the scene before her. Buffy nodded in agreement. This was truly horrifying.

Alex, nee Xander to the former Sunnydale residents, saw movement from the corner of his eye. He glanced over and up the staircase as saw Buffy and Willow standing there. Biting back a vicious curse that if Emily heard he's get hit, he brought forth a simple, but effective incantation that Daedelus had taught him awhile ago.

"Desino," was all he said, but its effects were exactly what he intended. Both Buffy and Willow were rendered immobile, unable to move from their spot. Not only were they prevented from harming the Gangrels, they were kept from interfering in the fight. The last thing that Alex and his friends needed was a Slayer to get in their way.

Buffy and Willow, clearly feeling the effects of Alex's spell, could only stand there (literally) and watch the scene unfold itself in front of them.

Unfortunately, the split second that Alex was distracted was enough for the demon. With a swipe, he, she, it, whatever, raked Alex's arm with its claws, tearing the flesh of his forearm. Hissing in pain, he swung the shotgun in the direction of the demon and fired directly at its head. The blast cleaved off at least half of the demon's head, spraying blood and gore on Alex.

Once that was complete, he rejoined the group, ignoring the Slayer and witch, focusing upon the fight.

The Gangrels, moved through the space like a well-trained team. There were only six of them, facing at least a dozen of these monsters. They targeted the demons, emptying their magazines and shotguns fully into the bodies before moving on to the next one. It was amazing how quickly they all moved, reloading their weapons as they went.

Finally, there was only one demon left, who was holding the last human victim hostage. It had the girl, a pretty African-American girl, by the throat a good foot off the ground. It was using her as a shield, not giving the rescuers a clear shot. It growled and snarled at the Gangrels, intelligible language beyond its capabilities, but its intentions were easily discernable.

"Alex," Cash said, looking at his childe while fingering a sharp-looking knife in his hand.

Alex smiled, acknowledging his sire and his intentions. Focusing his energies on the Pruflas demon in front of him, he readied himself for Cash's next move.

It came blindingly fast. Cash threw the knife expertly at the demon, catching him square in its one eye.

The creature screamed in pain and anger, reflexively letting go of the girl.

Alex, ready for his, grabbed the girl in an invisible grip and yanked her towards him. In the next instant, the others opened fire on the demon, ripping him to shreds with their bullets.

Soon it was over; all that could be heard was the hysterical sobbing of the rescued girl.

Alex looked at his fellow Gangrel, checking to see if everyone was alright. It was kind of difficult to tell the difference between their blood and accumulated filth from the fight. "Everyone okay?" he asked and everyone acknowledged their level of personal health.

He glanced over at the stairs and with a whispered word, released Buffy and Willow from his spell.

"Boss," Cavan called as the women marched down the stairs, identical masks of pissed-off on their faces. The other Gangrels responded by immediately pointing their weapons at the pair.

Buffy and Willow were stopped suddenly, surprised that Xander's gruesome friends were pointing the muzzles of their guns at them.

"Everyone back down," Alex called, seeing the looks on his former and current friends' faces. He knew that Buffy would be spoiling for a fight, willing to drag Willow down with her. Also, the Kindred would have no problem with killing the humans, seeing them as a threat to themselves and the Masquerade. "They're the ones Daedelus was probably talking about," he added as an aside to Cash. "I know them."

Reluctantly the others, though not Cash, lowered their weapons. Cash looking hard at the humans, took his time at backing down. He knew Alex's past very well, remembering who exactly these two were having been privy to his thoughts and memories from the Embrace. He knew the threat that they possessed.

"Lonnie, you and the others take the girl upstairs and get her somewhat cleaned up. We'll take her to the boss and let him deal with her," Cash ordered, his eyes never leaving the humans.

"I should have known," Alex began once the other's had left, leaving him and Cash in the basement, standing among the dead demons, blood, and body parts. "What the fuck are you doing here Buffy? Should I have spelled it out for you two any more clearer back at the diner that I don't want you in my goddamn life anymore?"

Buffy, who was red in the face by now, couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell are you doing here Xander? Are you out of your mind? Why are you doing this?" she screeched.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Buffy. You aren't my boss; I don't need a great protector anymore. Hell, we aren't friends anymore. What I do, is my business. You don't have any right to tell me anything or question what I do. Now I'll make this very simple for you since you seem to be pretty slow these days, get your fucking nose out of my business. Go find your new Slayer and get the fuck out of here."

"Why couldn't we move on the stairs?" Willow asked, her voice low, but full of suspicion.

Alex grinned at her, a more baring of teeth than an actual smile. "You'd be surprised at what someone can do once they're away from the Hellmouth and have someone who is willing to teach them instead of ignoring them. Now I'll say it again, get the fuck out of here."

With that, he and Cash pushed them aside and stomped up the stairs, following their friends back to the bikes.

Sensing that Buffy and Willow were not following them, Alex paused and turned around. "Seriously, get the fuck out of here. We're going to burn the place down. So unless you want to be a crispy critter, get a move on," he barked.

Buffy and Willow hurried after the pair, determined to not let it die there. They wanted answers and by God, they were going to get some!

Outside in the late morning sunshine, the girls hurried after the duo. They followed them to the truck and bikes, determined to have it out with Xander.

At the vehicles, they found the others rinsing their faces clean with bottles of water, ridding them as best as they could of the gore. Also, several were busy changing their bloody shirts, stripping the ruined garments off in the open.

Alex busied himself with placing his weapons back into the trunk of the car. Emily tossed him a bottle of water and he quickly attempted to wash away the blood and brains that he had been showered with. Once that was done, he stripped off his outer shirt, the vest, and his t-shirt, revealing a muscular torso. He wasn't muscle bound, but he possessed a clearly defined form. Buffy, and even Willow, couldn't help themselves by checking out their old friend.

Emily, noticing their looks, gave the women an arched glare that clearly said, 'back off, he's mine bitch.'

Buffy blushed slightly and looked elsewhere.

Willow shook herself. "Not really looking, I swear. I'm gay," she announced awkwardly.

With that, the guys perked up, looking over at her, and then glancing over at Buffy, clearly impure thoughts were going through their heads.

Alex snorted as he pulled a spare t-shirt over his head. A small part of him had to admit that there had been a dream or two back in high school that did involve Buffy, Willow, and even Cordelia. He knew exactly what the other guys were thinking.

"No, no. We're not, you know. Buffy here likes guys, a lot," Willow stammered, making things even worse.

Turning red, Buffy muttered at her friend to please find a quiet place and stay there for a second or two. "I'd like an explanation or two please," she demanded. "I thought you left Sunnydale to get away from the demons and such and here you are waist deep in demons. What the hell are you trying to prove Xander?"

Alex looked at her with a look that could be easily described as one of disgust. "I didn't leave Sunnydale to get away from the Hellmouth, not entirely. I left because I found something better and to get away from a bunch of people that continually treated me like shit. And as to what I am trying to prove, the answer is simple: nothing. I'm not doing this for glory or anything like that. It has to be done because some assholes with apparently no common sense, decided to shit-can the Hellmouth, forcing half of the demon population to relocate to San Francisco. I'm just one of several that are trying to keep things peaceful. It's not about attention or me, the opposite actually, but I don't expect you to understand that. Now, I am only going to say this once, get the fuck out of my life Buffy. I don't want you around, nor do I need you." With that, he slammed the trunk shut with an incredible amount of force, causing Emily to wince. She really hoped that he hadn't broken anything.

Alex was pissed to the point where he felt his control sliding away. There was always the danger of letting his rage gain control of him, thus loosening the Beast that was within all Kindred. He did not doubt for a second that Buffy and Willow would react negatively to seeing him with glowing eyes and fangs. In an effort to maintain the Masquerade, he stomped away from the group; back down the street, with two five gallon gas cans in hand.

He went back into the building and doused the mock altar the demons had erected with gasoline. He also threw some gas on the bodies, hoping that would be enough to ensure their remains being turned completely into cinders. With the remaining gas, he created a gas trail up the stairs and out of the building. Once out in the sun, he pulled a book of matches out of his pocket and struck one. Letting it burn for a second, he watched the flame dance and waver, contemplating how beautiful it was and so dangerous to his kind. Once the moment was over, he dropped the match into the gasoline and jumped out of the doorway, least the flames somehow find him.

With a grim smile, he jogged back up the street to the others. He tossed the empty cans into the back of Cavan's truck. "We need to get going. Cops and fire department will be here eventually."

Turning to the humans, he glared at them. "Stay the fuck away from me. Don't come near me, don't call. Go live your little lives and stay out of mine."

With that, he and the others got into their vehicles or climbed on to their motorcycles. The roar of the engines ruined any attempt made by Buffy or Willow to object to Xander's words.

Alex glared at the girls, hating them for their attitudes, slipped on his dark glasses and led the others off, away from the fire and the trouble that the Slayer always brought with her.

* * *

A/N: So, go ahead and hit the review button and let me know what you think. I'm not really sure how I feel about how this chapter turned out. I've been doing plenty of writing because of the holiday and the snow days (ice, snow, and cold as all get-out), more than I thought I would, so I decided to post earlier than scheduled. I really could use some feedback here. Thank you to those that have done so in the past, and hopefully in the near future; it really does help me out and brightens my day just a bit.

Anyways…Do you really think Buffy is going to listen to anyone, especially Xander?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language

Buffy and Willow had spent the drive back to the hotel in silence, both busy processing what they had seen.

Buffy knew that something was wrong. Xander was way too strong and powerful for it to be normal, in her opinion. Also, she noted, that when she was near him, her "spidey-sense" went into overdrive, warning her that danger was near-by. Before, back in Sunnydale, Xander had been completely normal, outside of the two times he had been possessed. He had helped with a couple of spells and while out on patrol and had occasional insights that everyone else had missed and helped lead the battle against the Mayor on Graduation Day, but still, there was nothing special about him at the time.

He could now perform magic on his own, something that had been beyond him before. Buffy wondered if he had fallen in with some sort of warlock or sorcerer that had granted him power, in his effort to show that he was useful.

Obviously, Buffy was still thinking that Xander was still the same from Sunnydale and that he was doing what he was doing because he had to prove something.

Willow, however, was impressed, yet mystified, by the power that she felt emanate from Xander. He had only performed that one spell where the demons were, but she could tell that was just a drop in the bucket, compared to what he had to potential to do. She wondered where the power came from and how someone like Xander was able to tap into it so effortlessly.

The fact that it was apparently so easy for him kind of enraged her. She had studied and practiced for so long, perfecting her art, learning many different, complex, and powerful spells. Since the closing of the Hellmouth, it had become more difficult for her do the stuff that she used to do all of the time in Sunnydale. Willow had noticed that Tara also did not seem to be struggling with the same difficulties as her. Now with Xander also a magic-adept, she felt small and insecure in her place with the Scoobies. _Why keep me around if they can get someone that is more powerful_, she thought, letting her irrationalities cloud reason.

They stormed though the lobby of the hotel they were staying at, at the expense of the new Watchers' Council, and went up to their rooms where Dawn, Tara, and Alexia were staying.

"Did you find him?" Dawn quietly asked as they entered the room. "Keep it down though; we just got Alexia down for a nap. And what's on your shoes?"

Buffy and Willow looked down at their shoes, Buffy's impractical high-healed boots and Willow's brown and pink Sketchers tennis shoes. On the soles and on the uppers, were spots of blood and on the back heal of Buffy's shoe was a tag that was fleshy-colored.

Immediately, Buffy began to scream for someone to get it off and hopped around. Dawn immediately slapped a hand across her sister's mouth, praying that the ruckus wouldn't wake-up Xander's daughter.

"For God's sake, I've seen you covered in slime, literally, before and you freak out now?" Dawn shook her head.

"God," Buffy said around Dawn's hand as she kicked off the shoe. "I just bought those in LA. They were brand new." She collapsed on the red upholstered sofa while Dawn sank on to the matching ottoman.

The hotel room, a suite actually, was quite plush. It was nice, Buffy decided, to be able to stay in nicer places, with the Watchers' footing the bill.

Willow went and got a tissue from the bathroom so she wouldn't have to actually touch the thing.

"That's either a piece of a demon or human. I don't know," Buffy said, watching Willow carry away the offending item.

"Why in the hell would you have a chunk of a demon, or human for that matter, on your shoe? I thought you guys were going to go see Xander. How is he? Where is he? Didn't you tell him about Alexia?"

Buffy and Willow proceeded to tell her and Tara, who came out of the second bedroom to join the others, about their morning.

"And to top it off, Xander's got himself some mojo-like powers and uses guns. I just can't believe it. He's changed," Buffy said, blowing a breath out.

"O-of course he's changed," Tara offered. "It's been three years since he left. People do change. It's only natural."

"No," Buffy, said, easily dismissing Tara's counsel. "He's way different. He's got tattoos and earrings and there's this strange woman at his house. Xander's not acting like our Xander."

"Buffy, would you listen to yourself for once?" Dawn exclaimed. "People don't always stay the same. Xander had to grow up sometime; you just didn't want him to. And what's wrong with Xander being with someone? Doesn't he deserve to be happy? Is she pretty?"

Willow nodded. "Not that I was looking," she immediately apologized to Tara, who only rolled her eyes. Willow, despite all of her confidence, could be even more insecure than she could at times.

"She's like gorgeous," Buffy added. "But it's not right. He should be with Anya, not this Emily person."

"Anya and he broke up along time ago and Xander has a right to move on. Anya did. Shit, you caught her screwing Spike in the Magic Box that one time. But of course you were too. I think I'll shut up now," Dawn said, looking slightly mortified that she brought the topic up. She didn't really get her sister's preferences for the undead. Not to sound like a mother, but she often wondered why Buffy couldn't be happy with a normal, human guy.

"Xander is entitled to his life. Why can't you accept it?" Tara asked.

"It's more than that. He can do magic and there's something about him that makes me want to take him out, like he's a threat. I don't get it."

"Maybe Xander always had the ability to practice magic, but the Hellmouth blocked his energies," Tara suggested. "The Hellmouth twisted everything, gave people abilities they weren't supposed to have and denied others' power that was supposed to be theirs."

Tara didn't say it out loud, but when she said that, she was thinking of Willow. She loved Willow with all of her heart, but it continually bothered her to see Willow rely on magic all the time, abusing the gift. In fact, she was pretty sure that Willow was not a natural-born wielder, but instead due to a twisting of the Hellmouth, unconsciously was able to steal power from other sources and manipulated the energies to fit her need. The spells' results were pretty much the same in the end, but the method tended to burn one out quicker and would be more difficult to do away from a source like a Hellmouth. But, she didn't want to hurt Willow's feelings, plus she doubted her lover would actually listen to her anyway.

"I don't care. Xander is into something big and dangerous. I want to know what's going on before we tell him about Alexia," Buffy insisted. "Anya would want her daughter safe and how can we leave her with him if he's doing something stupid?"

"What do you want me to do?" Willow asked, agreeing to Buffy's demands. What Buffy wanted, she got.

"I want to know what happened to him after he left Sunnydale," the Slayer pronounced.

"And do you have an idea on how to find this out?" Dawn asked, looking at her sister and Willow with skepticism. A part of her could not believe that Buffy would so willingly snoop in her old friend's life. She could understand that having concern for Alexia and her safety, but Dawn believed this was more about Buffy's need to control everything and everyone around her and less about Alexia.

Willow looked at Tara who simply shrugged and shook her head, letting them know that she didn't know anything.

Despite her indication that she had no knowledge of what kind of spell, Tara knew exactly what kind of spell would do the trick. However, she did not want to have anything to do with what Willow and Buffy were planning. It went against her belief in respecting other people's privacy and following the Threefold Law. Deep down she knew that the spell could have serious rebounding effects and did not want to get hit by any karma backlash.

"I need to look in a couple of books, but I think I can do it," Willow said, pushing confidence into her voice.

Willow spent the next several hours looking for an appropriate spell in the two books she had brought with her. When that had resulted in pretty much nothing, she went on line looking for something that would aid her in figuring out what had happened to Xander to make him change so much.

After searching all over the 'Net, she found a spell that seemed to fit her needs; it was fairly complex and required several supplies that she did not have with her, but it seemed to be the best bet on finding out what Xander had had done to himself.

She sent Tara to a local magic shop to find the necessary supplies, while she had Buffy and Dawn help her clear an area in the room. Once Tara had returned, she began to cast the circle.

The circle itself was fairly simple, simple sea salt scattered in a large circle, with Tara, Buffy, Dawn and herself in the center. Inside the circle, on a large piece of paper (she figured the hotel staff would not appreciate it being drawn directly on their carpet) was a complex diagram. There were three circles drawn inside each other of graduated sizes; in the inner most circle were four Triangles of Solomon (better known as the Star of David) arranged in a cross pattern. In the middle of the configuration of stars, was a diamond that touched all four stars and in the middle of that, rested a small crystal ball. On the outside of the circles were four pentacles at each corner. Next to each pentacle was another white candle. At the very top of the circles, between two of the pentacles was a Triangle of Art, which was a triangle with a circle on the inside. Also, throughout the diagram, were words written in Hebrew, calling for protection, wisdom, obedience, and guidance. Willow had reassured everyone that the words were correct; she noted, with more than a hint of pride in her voice, that all of the time she had spent in Wednesday night Hebrew school growing up had finally paid off.

Finally, when she had all of the supplies arranged just so and the circle of protection had been cast, preventing anything from getting in or out, Willow lit the candles with a wooden match. Everyone took a seat on the floor, knee to knee, each of them in contact with at least two others, connecting themselves on the physical plane.

Holding a dagger in her right hand and reading from a sheet of notebook paper, Willow spoke. "I invoke and conjure O spirit Amias, devoted servant to God, in the name of the Supreme Lord of all to appear before me in this ball of crystal in a fair and comely shape." Looking down at the crystal ball, she saw ghostly swirls of smoke start to appear. "In peace I welcome you O spirit Amias and in the name of the Most High, I command you to stay within this ball of crystal until you are dismissed, to speak honestly, and to answer all questions truthfully that I put before you."

As soon as Willow had utter the last word, a clap of thunder split the air and the ground shook as if in a mild earthquake.

A voice that came from nowhere and was everywhere at the same time, spoke stridently and commandingly. "Why had you called me mortal? Why have you pulled me across the veil to a door way to the physical world?"

Willow, Buffy, and Dawn looked all around them, searching for the origin of the voice.

When Tara gasped, they looked at her and followed her line of sight. In the crystal ball was a face, beautiful and stern, yet at the same time terrifying and chilling. It was impossible to determine the skin color or the color of the hair because of the swirling colors that filled the ball, but the eyes remained a constant ice blue, piercing and seeing.

"W-we wish knowledge," Willow said, struggling to clam her nerves.

"Knowledge is a powerful thing to possess," the voice intoned. "It causes great sadness and regret. It caused man to fall from Paradise."

"It's important. We wish to know the truth about our friend Alexander Lavell Harris. He has changed and we wish to know why. He is powerful now and we want the truth," Willow said, being the spokesperson for the group. She had called the Spirit; therefore she had to speak to it.

The voice was silent for several seconds. They could see the face in the crystal ball looked as if it were pondering what Willow had said.

"Very well, you will see what you wish to know, but you will only be able to see and will not be able to interact with anything around you. These are only visions of the past and cannot be affected by you."

With that, the world exploded in color emanating from the crystal ball, wrapping around the four females, transporting their spirits to the astral plane, while leaving their bodies slumped in the circle.

A/N: Ha! I really do not intend for this to be a cliffhanger (not that I am really kidding myself here about anything), but a logical point for a break. Anyways, if it's not too much trouble, hit the shiny review button and brighten my day just a bit.

Also, the spell stuff I bastardized from a couple of websites and books that I have (which really bother my mom when she sees them). I do not have any real belief in conjuring spirits or anything like that, but I mean NO offense to those that do practice Wicca or have similar beliefs. Please do not think that I am making fun of Wicca or pagan practices. I happen to be a Christian, but I respect other people's right to practice their faith. Personally, even if it would work, I don't think conjuring spirits is a good practice because you don't always know what you are going to get and there is always karma for our actions.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. And a special thank you to those that have left reviews here. Your feed back is always helpful. Also, thank you to those that have put me on their alert or favorite lists. Again, it was very kind of you to do so and is much appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language and blood.

* * *

Xander, after nearly four and a half hours of driving, had finally arrived outside of Emily's high-rise apartment building. He pulled into a short-term visitor's parking space and sat there for a minute, trying to gather up his courage.

He had thought it through and understood fully what he was about to do, but now, so much closer to such a life altering event, it scared him. He was about to become something that he had fought against for the past four years, although he recognized that Kindred and the vampires of Sunnydale were not the same thing. He was going to join a species apart from humanity; he would no longer be considered human, but something else. And it scared him.

However, Xander told himself resolutely that he had willingly agreed to this madness. He wanted to be with Emily and if that meant he had to change to be with her, so be it. The Kindred offered him something that he had been lacking before: Belonging and acceptance. That, coupled with Emily, helped bolster his resolve to facing what lay before him.

Taking a deep breath, he gathered is courage and got out of the car. Once that was done, it was easy to make his way across the small parking lot and thru the front doors into the lobby. He took the elevator up to her floor, sharing the ride with a elderly couple and a super tall blonde woman who was carrying what was supposed to be a Chihuahua (though it looked more like a rat) in a pale pink and black purse that matched her outfit.

Silently willing the elevator to go faster, Xander bounced slightly as the car rose higher in the building, stopping to let the insane woman and the couple off on the floor after her. Finally, he arrived on Emily's floor. He walked down the hall, stopping in front of her door. Raising his fist, he rapped gently on the door.

The door opened, revealing a smiling Emily, who immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She had been worried that Alex wouldn't show; having decided that becoming Kindred and herself were not worth it.

"Hey there, did you miss me?" Xander asked his face buried in her feathery-light hair.

"You bet," she said, kissing him tenderly and shoved the front door shut. Quietly she took in the figure in front of her. He was dressed simply in jeans, beaten up work-boots, and a much abused dark brown Rage Against The Machine t-shirt. He looked casual, normal, like any other guy on the street. Except for his eyes, Emily noted, they were tired, weary, as if they had seen way too much.

"So, what's the plan," Xander asked, sitting down on her simple couch.

"Cash said he'd be by this evening, sometime after sundown," Emily replied, looking at him closely. "Are you okay, honestly?"

Xander leaned forward on the couch, his hands folded upon each other between his legs, like a basketball player. "Honestly, I'm scared. I want to be with you, but I guess I am kind of scared about the whole process. I don't want to be like the vampires from back home."

Emily sat down next to him. "All I can do is give you my word that we are nothing like the vampires of Sunnydale. The Primorial vampires are all soul-less, evil creatures. Among us, there are good and there are bad. How you end up is up to you."

Xander smiled weakly at her. He was still extremely apprehensive, but he knew where he belonged, and was willing to do what was necessary to be with Emily. He just hoped that in the end, he still had his soul.

Together, they hauled his belongings out of the car and up to the apartment. She had Xander put his car in the parking garage that was a part of her apartment building, giving him is own pass key and code.

Emily showed him how she had cleared out half of her closet and dresser for him. She had even cleared space for him in the bathroom. After he had gotten settled, they went out for lunch and drove out to San Rafael to see the bird swarms, Emily hoping that it would keep Alex's mind somewhat occupied.

Later that night, closer to eight o'clock than seven, Cash showed up, with Sonny Toussaint in tow.

Cash, Primogen of the Gangrel clan in the San Francisco area, stood there in the hallway, looking scruffy and dangerous. He had made sure that he had fed before arriving; wanting to make sure that he would have enough strength to Embrace Alex. He wanted Alex Harris part of his clan, knowing that the boy was strong, resourceful, and fiercely loyal. He did not want to risk anything, thus jeopardizing the inclusion of a potentially powerful member to the clan.

Emily let them in and quietly closed the door.

"Where is he?" Cash asked gruffly, not seeing Alex in the living room.

"Here," Xander said, coming down the hallway, looking pale, but resolute. He was scared, more scared than he had ever been in his entire life, but he was determined to go through with it. He had to he knew, if he wanted to be with Emily.

Cash looked Alex over, taking in the paleness. "Sit down," he said, gesturing towards the couch.

Xander sat, looking up at the Kindred Primogen with anticipation and a small amount of fear. He kept still, except for a wringing of the hands.

"Alexander Harris, of your own free will, do you willing accept the invitation to be embraced by me in to the Gangrel Clan?" Cash asked, speaking formally.

Xander cleared his throat, silently willing himself to sound like a man, rather than the scared kid he felt like right them. "Yes, I do," he pronounced, pleased that he kept the shakiness out of his voice.

"This is Sonny Toussaint, of the clan Ventrue. He is here on behalf of the Prince to make sure that you are doing this of your own free will," Cash explained to the human.

To Emily he explained further. "Luna doesn't want any one to think that we are forcing him in to this, using him to gain more power over the other clans. He wants to make sure this is done properly," he grumbled, sort of pissed that Luna wouldn't take him at his word, even though in the back of his mind, he understood why. Harris had the potential to be very powerful if he wanted, which could upset the delicate balance of power among the clans, thus possibly endangering the Masquerade.

Xander easily understood the fact that what Cash was saying was important, but not getting the details, turned to Sonny and spoke. "I am doing this of my own free will. No one is influencing me or causing me to agree to this out of my own violation."

Sonny nodded, satisfied with the human's declaration, quickly left, leaving the Gangrels to their business.

Cash came over to the sofa and sat down. "Do you have any questions?"

"What's going to happen?" Xander asked, his heart rate soaring to new heights.

"First, you need to calm down. You're going to give yourself a heart attack," Cash couldn't help but laugh. "What's going to happen is simple. I'm going to drain you to the point of death, but before death can actually happen, you're going to drink from me which will start the process of changing you from human to Kindred."

Xander went even paler. "Is it going to hurt?" he asked.

"The process of changing isn't easy and it does hurt, but you probably won't remember much of it. After that, you'll be in a deep sleep for the next several hours. Once you wake up, you'll be hungry, but Emily and I will be there to help you through it. Does that answer your questions?"

Xander nodded, scared, but determined to go through with it.

Cash grinned. "I promise you Alex, once it's done, you'll be glad you did. Are you ready?"

Again Xander nodded.

Cash didn't say anything, but took Xander's arm and turned it over, exposing his wrist. He brought it up to his mouth and gently bit down, piercing his skin with his sharp canines. Soon he was drinking freely from Xander, letting his warm blood fill his mouth and down to his stomach.

Through the act of drinking the human's blood, he was able to see into Alex's past, seeing events unfold. He saw early years, meeting a young girl named Willow; he saw birthday parties and holidays ruined by his parents' drinking habits; he saw the day in his sophomore year of high school he meet Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer; he saw the day he staked his best friend Jesse; he saw Giles, the librarian, father-figure, and friend; he saw Cordelia; he saw Anya, the former vengeance demon; he saw the possessions; he saw, much to his horror the events of Graduation Day; he saw how the people he called friends push him away, neglecting him, ignoring him except when he served a purpose to their plans.

Xander, for his part, once Cash started to drink from him, once the initial flash of pain from when the teeth pierced his skin relaxed, enjoying feelings of comfort and peace. He didn't really care that he seemed to be floating away, getting lighter and lighter with each passing second. His vision started to grey out, but still, he didn't care. He collapsed back onto the couch, unable to hold himself in an up-right, seated position. It was too much work to keep him seated properly, but he didn't care.

He still felt light as a feather, unable to see anything, couldn't really feel anything, but he could still hear. Xander could hear the quiet slip-slipping sounds emanating from Cash as he continued to drink from him. _I guess the scientists are right_, he thought to himself, _hearing is the last thing to go._

Suddenly, the sound stopped and Xander felt cold and alone. He couldn't breath, couldn't scream for help to let others know that he was dying.

Luckily, before panic could fully set in, someone, presumably Cash, started dripping something warm, wet, and sweet into his mouth. Like a drowning man latching on to a life preserver, somewhere he found the strength to latch on to the arm over his mouth. He greedily lapped at the blood, drinking heavily from the source, letting it fill him completely.

In the midst of drinking the offered blood, flashes of memory entered his brain. A dim part of him knew that they weren't his memories, but could not figure out where they came from. He saw a hard childhood, days of living on the street, drinking, motorcycles, the murdering of someone called Stevie Ray, fights, anger, love, and love denied. Xander saw them, let them pass through his mind, but did not, could not, react to them. All he cared about was getting more of that luscious liquid into his mouth.

All too soon, Cash pulled his arm away from his childe, denying him more of his blood.

Xander helpless, unable to vocally and physically demand for more, went slack, his eyes closed.

Suddenly, Xander's body seized, causing his back to arch, his limbs going rigid. His eyes flew open, moving and wide, but unseeing as they changed from his normal chocolate brown to a glowing hazel. His mouth opened in an animalistic howl, teeth gnashing as the canines grew from dull points to elongated fangs. His fingers grabbed uselessly at the fabric of the sofa and he kicked out, upsetting the low coffee table that rested in front of the furniture.

All Emily could do is stand there and watch as Alex went through the process of becoming Kindred. It was painful for her to stand there and do nothing but watch as he screamed wordlessly.

Soon, the worst of it was over. Alex went into a near catatonic state, quiet and subdued, a direct opposite of what he had displayed earlier.

"Let's move him to the bedroom where he'll be more comfortable," Cash said, drinking from a dark bottle, grateful that Emily had a supply on hand. Feeding Alex had taken a lot out of him and he needed to replace the blood-loss, least he fall into the state of frenzy.

They moved his listless body into the bedroom, Emily removing his boots and arranging the pillows, knowing that it really wouldn't make much of a difference, but still hoping he was comfortable.

After that, Emily and Cash went out into the living room to watch some television while they waited for Alex to wake up.

A couple of hours later, both Emily and Cash heard quiet sounds coming from the bedroom. With Cash in the lead, they returned to the bedroom where they found Alex awake, looking confused and holding his head.

Cash looked at Emily who nodded and left the apartment all together.

"What the hell happened? My head feels like it's been kicked with an iron boot," Alex grumbled, shielding his eyes with his hand, hoping that would help alleviate the pain behind his eyes.

"Don't worry, this is normal. Once you feed it will pass," Cash replied.

"Feed? I'm not hungry. I had dinner not too long ago," Alex said, confused as to what the man, Cash he remembered, was talking about.

Cash was silently willing Emily to get back to the apartment. He knew that Alex didn't have long before he needed to feed.

Suddenly Emily was back, with a human in tow. The human, a man of thinning blond hair, slightly plump in build, and over-all had the look of an accountant that had spent too many days and nights at the office.

Cash looked at him then Emily. "This is Samuel Martin, he's Herd," she explained. The Herd was people, humans that knew about the Kindred, and received special favors, financial gain, and the possibility that they may too be embraced. In return they helped maintain the Masquerade, performing tasks that helped hide the Kindred from favor, and sometimes serving as sources of food for them. Samuel's role that night was to serve as Alex's first meal as a member of the Kindred.

Emily spoke quietly to the human, "Don't worry, we won't let him hurt you. Relax"

Alex looked up at Cash with mild trepidation as he slowly sat up. His heart beat slowly, barely registering, but he noticed quite plainly the balding man's heart rate start to skyrocket, teasing him.

Cash took the human's arm gently, and offered it to Alex, turning it over to expose the veins on the wrist. "Here, or at the neck," he said, tracing an area that wouldn't lead to the human bleeding to death. "Go ahead, you know what to do," he said encouragingly, as if he was coaching a toddler at a new activity, which for all intents and purpose, he was.

Alex looked somewhat askew at Cash but took the man's arm and examined the limb carefully. He could see the folds in the skin where the wrist bent. He could see the bluish veins just below the surface, pulsing with life.

With one last quick glance at his sire, Alex opened his mouth, letting newly born instinct take over, causing his canines to lengthen and sharpen. His eyes changed from dark brown to glowing hazel, focused on the human before him. Swiftly he bit down into the skin, his teeth easily piercing the flesh of the human, creating puncture wounds that immediately welled up with blood.

Alex then began to feed, drinking the blood of a human, clearing the cobwebs from his mind, completing the change, fully becoming one of the Kindred, a member of the Gangrel clan.

* * *

A/N: Well? What do you think? Be a pal and hit the shiny review button and let me know.

I will say that is chapter was fun to write and took me about two days to complete (discounting all of the proofing and revisions I had to make – my spelling is atrocious – all hail spell-check!). I was fueled by PowerAde, Alice in Chains, and the positive feedback I have received. Thank you to those that have reviewed, or put me on your lists, or just giving me a chance by reading my story. Hope it isn't too much of a disappointment. Thanks a-plenty to all.

Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language, violence, and blood.

* * *

Immediately, the scene dissolved, throwing the four women out of the past and back into reality. Their spirits were slammed back home into their bodies. Willow, who had led and fueled the summoning spell, fell backwards. She would have hit the floor, but Buffy and Dawn, thinking fast, had caught her limp form before her head could bounce off the carpet.

Tara, realizing that Willow was out of it, unable to dismiss the spirit herself, spoke out-loud, her voice filled with quiet confidence. "Thank you Amias, devoted servant to the Highest among that high. We bid you farewell and let you take leave of this bridge between the physical and spiritual plains. May you go with peace and love and let us all do what thou will, yet harm to none."

With that, she took a soft, cloth bag and wrapped the crystal ball in it. She then folded the parchment that had the symbols written on it and placed it in an earthenware bowl. Taking one of the candles, she set the paper alight, letting it burn until it was nothing but ashes. After that, she blew out the candles, one by one and scattered the salt, allowing them to safely leave the circle.

Buffy picked up Willow, clearly strong enough for the task and laid her gently on the bed. The witch was out cold, having exhausted herself physically and psychically.

Once her friend was tucked away, Buffy turned to the others, her eyes shining brightly. "Xander's a vampire. I can't believe it. How could he be so stupid?"

Dawn, sitting on a chair near-by, holding her forehead in the palm of her had, looked up at her big sister. "They never called themselves vampires, Buffy. They always referred to themselves as Kindred or Gangrel. I don't get it." She was tired and shaky, she had just seen her old friend Xander drink someone else's blood, twice! It was something that she had never guessed was possible.

"That woman said that they weren't evil, that they still had their souls," Tara pointed out, trying to get Buffy to see that maybe there was something else going on. She had heard of the Kindred before, before she had come to Sunnydale, but no details were made available to her other than that they liked secrecy and it was best to stay out of their way.

"Bull," Buffy snorted, crossing the room to a small suitcase. "He was drinking blood. He had fangs. Hello, does that not scream vampire? I owe it to Xander to free him, to let him rest in peace," she snapped. Moving efficiently, she opened up the suitcase, removing a small crossbow, extra arrows, several wooden stakes, and a small bottle of holy water.

"You're going to kill Xander?" Dawn nearly screeched, looking at her sister in complete disbelief, jumping to her feet.

"I'm a Slayer, that's what I do," Buffy replied her face void of any emotion as she pulled on her boots and picked up a light weight jacket.

"What about Angel and Spike? They are, were, vampires. What makes them less deserving of death than Xander?" Dawn demanded.

"They had souls, Xander doesn't."

"You frigging hypocrite! Why can't we just give Xander his soul back? You were more than willing to do that with Angel, despite everything he did as Angelus. And Spike, hello, didn't have a soul for the longest time and you were more than happy to keep him around. What, you have to sleep with a vampire before you're willing to give them a chance?" Dawn shouted, throwing her words and the truth at her sister.

Buffy responded with a slap across Dawn's face. "You don't know anything," she said hotly.

Dawn, holding her reddening cheek with one hand, glared at her sister, but refused to back down. "No, I know plenty. You're an arrogant bitch, who thinks that whatever you do is the right thing. You don't listen to anybody - too full of yourself to do so. You, the great and almighty Slayer, always has to be right. Screw you Buffy." With that, Dawn turned and fled to the next room, slamming the door and locking it securely behind her.

Tara, who had been watching the scene unfold in front of her, quickly looked away when she saw that Buffy was looking at her, silently daring her to say anything. Instead, she went over and sat down beside her lover, gently stroking her fine read hair away from her face.

"She doesn't get it," Buffy said to no one in particular, just speaking out-loud. "She still thinks Xander is the same person he was back in Sunnydale. He needs to be stopped."

"N-no, it's you who thinks Xander should be the same person he was back in Sunnydale," Tara dared to say. "You don't know everything going on h-here. You and Willow saw him in the sunlight. Doesn't that say that something to you?"

Buffy snorted. "It's probably some trick. Maybe he has a ring like the one we gave to Angel, keeping him safe from the sun's rays. It doesn't matter. Xander's a vampire, I'm a Slayer, I know what I have to do," she declared, shoving her supplies into a small duffle bag and snagged the keys to the rental car off the desk. "Dawn will get over it someday and Willow would definitely understand."

With that, Buffy left, leaving everything and everyone behind, ready to kill the demon that had possessed her old friend.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know that this is a super short chapter; it's more of a transitory chapter – hence the shortness. Please find it in your heart to forgive me, and while you are at it, hit the review button and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, and/or putting me on your lists or alerts. I really do appreciate it.

Cheers!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language, violence, sex, and blood (hopefully I won't be graphic about it).

* * *

Driving over to Xander's home, using the directions they had down loaded from Yahoo Maps, had taken less time than she expected. She really didn't have much of a plan formed, other than having the goal of killing the demon that inhabited her friend's body.

By the time she arrived at his house, it was close to eight o'clock, the twilight was starting to gather. She parked in front of the house, barely remembering to engage the emergency break just before the vehicle started to roll down hill. Pulling the crossbow from the duffle bag, she climbed out of the SUV. Looking up at the house, she saw that the lights were off, indicating that nobody was home. _They're probably out ripping people's throats out,_ she thought. _I'm so stupid for falling for his everything is normal act_.

Even so, knowing that nobody was in the house, she went up the stairs anyways. She reasoned that they might have felt a clue as to their whereabouts. Standing in front of the door she examined the casework and recalled that Willow had said something about wards. Hoping that the wards were put into place to prevent someone magically entering the house and not through more conventional means, she raised a foot and kicked the front door in. Metal and wood shrieked in protest.

Stepping cautiously across the threshold, fully expecting the way to be barred, she was pleased when her efforts were not rebuffed. Not really caring who saw her; she found the lights and flipped them on, illuminating the living room. She took in the dark hardwood floors, detailed molding, and cheerful paint on the walls. The furniture was sparse: a simple sofa, arm chair, and coffee table. The entertainment center was elegantly made, simple in its lines, but the carving on the doors was beautiful, a picture of a mountain scene with a wolf clearly howling at the moon. Immediately Buffy recognized the work to be Xander's.

_It isn't right that a demon is using his talents_, she thought angrily as she continued to look around the room. First she gave the kitchen a cursory glance, seeing nothing that immediately jumped out at her, she then went on to look in the master bedroom and bathroom that was on the first floor, seeing nothing of interest. She also checked upstairs, in the two small bedrooms, one of which had been turned into an office, and the extra bathroom.

Finding nothing, she returned downstairs and went into the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, she opened the refrigerator expecting to see bags of blood lining the shelves. Instead, she found five dark green wine bottles in the shelves in the door, a box of Twinkies, and a tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food in the freezer. Seeing the Twinkies, Buffy smiled, recalling how much her friend had liked the junk food. Picking up one of the bottles, she pulled out the poorly plugged cork and took a whiff of the contents. Reeling back, she dropped the bottle, allowing it to shatter on the ceramic tiled floor. Blood!

She didn't know why she was surprised. Xander had become a vampire, willingly. Of course he drank blood! She did admit to a moment of confusion because she figured that the Xander-vampire would only drink from live victims.

She then saw a notepad by the cordless phone on the counter. Crossing the small area, she snatched it up, examining the top page. All she saw was the words Mt. Diablo State Park written in neat letters, clearly not Xander's handwriting. She tore the sheet off and folded it, putting it in her pocket.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from behind her.

Buffy whirled, instinctively bringing the crossbow up in a ready position. "Larry? What are you doing her?' she asked her confusion evident.

"I live across the street and happened to look out to see someone breaking into his home. We're friends and friends look out for each other. What are you doing in Alex's home?" he explained, his imposing bulk standing between her and freedom. "He won't be happy when he sees that you've kicked down his front door. And what's up with the crossbow?"

"Xander's got himself in a mess," she explained, never taking her eyes off her former classmate. She had liked the ex-football player, well she did after he finally came out of the closet and quit being such an egotistical ass. However, there was something about Larry that made her very nervous and edgy right now.

Larry snorted. "Like what?"

"Xander went and made himself into a vampire, Larry. Didn't you know?' Buffy replied.

"Yeah right, Alex a vampire! Get real! I've seen him out in the sun and he's a good guy. There is no way he would turn himself into one of the demons from back home," Larry protested, never taking his eyes off the crossbow.

"Sure. Willow did a spell and we saw him drink somebody's blood."

"He's a good guy Buffy," Larry repeated himself.

"Yeah, sure. To quote Cordelia: he's like a Care Bear, but with fangs. There's no such thing as a good vampire," she declared, mentally excluding Angel and Spike.

"Buffy, you are way over your head here. You need to just leave it alone and go home."

Buffy tried to push her way past Larry, but was rebuffed (no pun intended). He shoved her back, not letting her leave.

Realization suddenly dawned on her. She realized that Larry should have referred to Xander as 'Xander,' not Alex. Also, he was way too strong for a normal human, even one his size. "You're one too!" she exclaimed, pissed that another person had tried to pull the wool over her eyes, lying to her. She automatically pulled the trigger, catching the vampire squarely in the heart before he could move against her again.

"Oh fuck!" he snarled as he looked down at his chest, and then collapsed on the floor.

To Buffy's surprise, Larry did not immediately turn into dust, but instead his body mummified, looking as if belonged in Ancient Egypt, not a kitchen floor.

"Well, that was odd," she commented and shrugged and stepped over the corpse. It was cold, she knew just to stake him then leave him like that, but Larry was a vampire and she was the Slayer. It was not the time for emotions or kindness. Being brutal, she told herself, was really the kindest thing for her to do.

With one last look around the house, flipping the lights off, she went back to the Explorer and turned on an overhead light.

She took out a map of San Francisco that the rental company had thoughtfully provided and searched it for any signs of a Mt. Diablo. She purposefully ignored the ominous feeling that the name gave her and pushed the shiver that was crawling up her spine. _Now is not the time to get wigged out_, she told herself_. I have a job to do, I'm the Slayer, and I can handle this_.

Once she had left, Reed came streaking across the street, instantly aware that his childe and lover, Larry, was in trouble.

Reed found Larry on the kitchen floor in a puddle of broken glass and blood, mummified, a wooden arrow sticking out of his chest.

Taking a deep breath, willing him-self to not lose it, he moved swiftly, grabbing hold of the shaft and pulled it out, ignoring the tearing sounds his action was causing. Next, he grabbed a bottle out of the refrigerator, uncorked it, and held it to his lover's lips. He only let out a sigh of relief when Larry reflexively started drinking and his features returned to normal.

When it was finally evident that Larry was recovered enough, Reed began to question him as to what had happened.

Larry recounted what the Slayer had done and what she had stumbled upon. "She thinks Alex and I are like the vampires from Sunnydale and plans on killing him."

"Well, he's probably out with the other Gangrels at their Blessing Moon party. She won't know where that is, and even if she does, it'd be suicide for her to go there."

"I need to call him and warn him though," Larry said as he struggled to his feet. He grabbed the phone off the counter and rapidly punched in a series of numbers, hoping Alex would pick up his cell.

Unfortunately, all he got was the automatic voice mail. He had either turned off the phone or had gone out of the coverage area.

"Come on," Reed said, taking Larry by the hand, and leading him outside. They paused for a moment to set the door upright, to at least give the illusion that the house was secure. "You need to get cleaned up and we'll go see Lillie or Luna if he's there. They can handle it from there," he pronounced, hoping that the Prince would be able to deal with this recent development. He sincerely liked Alex, despite belonging to a different clan and didn't want to see this end up totally pear-shaped with him being killed and/or revealing the Masquerade.

She easily found the park. It was east of San Francisco, out on I-680, near some town called Danville. It was all highways, smooth and quick, though it took her nearly an hour and a half to get there. Signs pointed her to the park, directing her to get off at the Diablo Road exit and went three miles east on Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd.

She was met by a figure at the gate to the park. Apparently he was in charge of letting others into the park, despite the posted sign declaring that the gates were locked promptly at six p.m. He looked just this side of animalistic, rangy and mean. Buffy figured he was also a vampire and that there was no one else around. As he approached, she rolled down her window and calmly shot him in the heart with an arrow.

The vampire let out a growl, his eyes glowing and baring his fangs. However that was as far as he got; he collapsed just as Larry had and immediately mummified. A distant part of her brain wondered why they hadn't turned into dust like all of the others; she also noted that despite the eyes and the fangs, their faces really hadn't changed, morphing into a more fearsome visage.

She drove along the road, following the noise towards the camping area located in the park. Finally, when she could go no longer, she parked the SUV among other vehicles and got out, hoping that she could blend in somehow. She concealed the crossbow in the folds of her jacket and tried her best to fit in with the wild crowd surrounding her.

When she looked around, she saw people everywhere. She assumed that a majority of them were vampires so she steered around the groups, sticking to the edges and shadows. Even so, she could easily make out the comings and goings of the partiers.

There were people, _vampires_ _not people_ she fiercely reminded her self, drinking what looked to be bottles of beer. However, she wouldn't have put it past them to have bottled blood, like the stuff she had found in Xander's refrigerator. There were strange-looking people everywhere: bikers, grunge boys and girls, gypsy-looking individuals, people that seemed animalistic with funky shaped ears and weird tufts of hair everywhere.

Music was blaring out of speakers somewhere. It was loud, heavy, and wild, just like the party-goers. She couldn't make out the lyrics but it sounded like early 90s grunge music.

"So, why did a pretty girl like you join the Herd?" a voice asked from near-by.

Buffy, doing her best to not show any anxiety, kept her voice as level and calm as possible. "Why do you want to know?" She had no idea what the term herd meant.

The speaker, male, short, and with a full head of hair, grinned easily at her. "We'll obviously you aren't Gangrel. You're eyes aren't reflecting light back like theirs. You just don't seem the type out here, too clean and neat to be Herd to the Gangrel."

"Kind of fell into it," she said, not wanting to give away anything. She checked his eyes before asking her next question. "What about you? Why are you here?"

He smiled at her. "I'm half Rom," he said, as if that explained everything.

"Oh," Buffy said not understanding. She had thought that all of the Rom hated vampires. "Anyways, I need to find Xan, um, Alex Harris. Have you seen him?"

"You're looking for Harris?" the guy looked at her as if she was kind of insane.

"Yeah, he asked me to take care of something for him and he needs to know about it," she said lamely, trying for the life of her to think of something to say.

"Well, he's probably beyond the bonfire with Cash and the others," he replied. "Be careful," he advised.

"Why?"

"According to what others have been saying, he's been pissed off for a good majority of the night. Nobody really knows why, but usually it takes a demonic invasion to get him to that level of pissed-off. As you know, Harris is usually a pretty laid-back, easy-going king of guy."

"Yeah, he's like totally laid back. Thanks for the warning though," was her reply before slipping off into the darkness in search of Xander.

She wove in and out of people, making her way towards the bonfire. At the fire, she looked around and saw that there were a few more people beyond the flames.

Buffy moved away from the partiers and went into the wooded area, hoping to circle around the fire and get into a better position to ambush the vampires. She moved silently, years of experience quieting her footsteps as she moved through the brush and branches.

Finally, when she felt she was close enough, she took in the group that she knew he had to be with. They were pretty much the same people she had been with earlier in the day. She saw that the guy that had been down in the basement with in the end was there, standing around the motorcycles, drinking presumably beer. The other guys were also there, drinking heavily and several were smoking cigarettes, which she totally disapproved of – vampire or not. Overall, they all looked wild and dangerous; definitely not the type of friends Xander would have associated with had he not been a vampire.

Buffy then noticed that Xander was not with the main group. She looked around and saw that Xander was separated from the group, sitting on the tailgate of a truck, closer to her than expected. Sitting on his lap was Emily. She has her legs wrapped around him, her short denim skirt hiked up far over her thighs, as she leaned backwards slightly, with ecstasy easily discernable on her face.

Blushing fiercely, knowing that the vampire couple were screwing each other in the open. That was something else, she decided, that the human Xander would never have done. However embarrassing his actions were, she knew that he was not paying attention to anything else, giving her the perfect opportunity.

Her plan was to shoot Xander and as many of the others as quickly as she could, then run through the woods and back to the car. _Easy in, easy out_, she told herself, trying to fortify her nerves.

Buffy raised the crossbow, made sure an arrow was in place and there were others ready to be cycled into its place. Taking a deep breath, holding it, she gently squeezed the trigger, targeting the area just below his left collar bone, knowing that all it would take is one shot and Xander would be set free.

The arrow flew through the air, piercing his skin, punching a hole through his shoulder, tearing ligaments and tendons, missing his heart completely.

Unfortunately, Buffy's aim had been a bit off, causing the arrow to land slightly to the left of his heart. Alex screamed, immediately abandoning Emily, clawing wildly at his shoulder, yelling for someone to pull the damn thing out.

Cash, Lonnie, and Paul upon hearing Alex's shouts, ran over to their friend to help him. Lonnie and Cash, working together, held Alex down. Paul, once he was able to, grabbed the wooden shaft and yanked it out of his shoulder, grimacing at the bloody task.

Tissue that had been violently damaged due to the arrow immediately started to repair itself.

"What the fuck was that?" Alex snarled as he stood up on shaky legs (having a wooden arrow shoved into one's body – deadly or not, hurt like the fires of hell), Cash and Lonnie supporting him.

Paul wordlessly presented him with the bloody arrow.

"Buffy!" he hissed, knowing immediately whom had shot him.

Immediately Alex looked around, checking out the shadows for Buffy's tiny figure. Not seeing her, he sniffed the air using his Gangrel enhanced sense of smell, searching for her particular scent: a strange combination of cheery blossoms and earth.

There! On the wind he caught a whiff of Buffy, heading due south, straight through the trees.

Alex took a deep breath and visibly relaxed, letting his body swiftly and smoothly shifts to a form more suited for hunting: a hyena.

Gangrel generally had the ability to shift their shape from a human form to a wolf or bat. Alex however, a leftover from his time on the Hellmouth, also had the ability to change into a hyena. While he did not mind his wolf-form, being able to change into a bat freaked him out a bit. However, the hyena form seemed to be the most natural and comfortable form of the three.

Setting off in a dead run, chasing down the familiar scent of the Slayer, Alex gave into his instincts, dodging as wound his way through the trees, avoiding downed tress, whipping branches, and exposed rocks.

Buffy, for her part, was running as fast as she could, abandoning her plan of taking out the others. She knew immediately that she was in deep shit and had to get out of there. The demon-Xander was pissed and she could only guess at the violence he had in mind if he caught her.

_Guess the others were right. I charged into something without thinking this one through_, she begrudgingly thought as she tore through the trees. Crap, I didn't even work out an escape plan. All I could think about was killing Xander and that I was right. She would have thought things out further, but she had to double her efforts; she could hear that something, or someone, was near-by chasing her.

Alex was circling her, forcing her to run in the direction he wanted her to go. He knew that she was probably trying to make her way back to her vehicle, but that was something he was not about to allow. She had shot him, tried to kill him. With that act, she had killed whatever remained of their friendship.

He wasn't sure what exactly she had found out about him that would make her want to kill him; nevertheless, the threat that she posed would have to be eliminated. A small voice in the back of his mind wondered if whatever Buffy knew had been passed on to the others. He knew he would have to deal with that end of the dilemma, but he quietly hoped and prayed that Dawn, and maybe Tara, could somehow be spared.

He chased Buffy, pushing her to an opening in the trees, a grassy glade that really wasn't too far from the other party-goers, but far away enough from the members of the Herd. The humans did not need to see everything there was to see within the Gangrel clan. They were human, and the Gangrel were Kindred, thus a line was created that divided them from each other.

Buffy arrived in the clearing and looked around wildly. At the edges of the clearing, she could easily see several figures standing there, blocking any attempts at escape. _Oh crap!_

Buffy turned around just in time to see Alex/Xander rematerialize, losing his hyena form and reverting back to his human-like form.

"What now?" Buffy asked, hoping her voice sounded braver than she actually felt. Inside she was shaking. She really didn't know why. She had faced down plenty of vampires, demons, and hell-gods before and none of them, The First included, had ever scared her the way she felt as she looked at the figure of Xander who was standing not ten feet away.

Alex smiled coldly. "What do you think? You think I want to sit down and talk this out? You fucking tried to kill me," he said, his voice a few degrees below freezing. He was pissed, more pissed than he could remember. Angrier than when Jesse had been killed, angrier than all of the times Buffy, Willow, and the others had pushed him out of the gang's activities. What he was feeling went beyond anything he had ever experienced.

"Fine," Buffy said, assuming a fighting stance. "I slay, you die."

Alex let out a mirthless laugh, letting his eyes change color and his razor sharp teeth drop. If she wanted to fuck with him, he figured he might as well go all out for it. Let her see the shit she had landed in. "Bring it bitch."

With that, Buffy launched herself at him, prepared to kill the demon, even if it cost her everything.

* * *

A/N: Bah! Cliffhanger-ish, I know. However, I didn't want to go on and on with this chapter, making it too long. This seemed to be a more natural break; separating the foreplay/banter/Nancy Drew moment from the physical confrontation. I am not too sure if I really like this chapter. It was really difficult to write and I know that the next one will probably be harder with the action and all. I knew that when I started to lay out this chapter, I wanted to somehow bring Larry back into the story and have it help with a later development in the plot. So hopefully he's not just filler and in the story taking up space. Also, I have no idea if Gangrels and Toreador get along, but it seemed natural that since Xander and Larry got along back in NLTZ 1, why not continue the friendship. They won't be close, best buds, but why not have him have a decent friendship, IMO. Anyways, I am sure I could go to the bookstore and look it up in an RPG book but this is my world and my story, so I will tell it how I want it to be.

I am only fueled by having a weird imagination (makes my time at the gym and in meetings go faster), Save Ferris (they're a great group and I wish they were still together and producing music), and feedback. So if you feel so inclined, hit the shiny button and drop me a review. Please!?!

Anyway, I definitely want to thank you for reading, reviewing, putting me on your lists, etc. I especially want to thank Wispr and Daemondeathstone. You guys are so kind and so freaking hilarious. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language, blood, and violence

* * *

Buffy launched herself at Xander, Alex, the demon, whatever he was calling himself, knowing full well, that even if she did manage to kill the thing that was inhabiting her old friend's body, she probably wouldn't make it out of there alive. There were too many others around, clearly not card-carrying members of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan club. She knew that they would en-mass fall on her, killing her. She only hoped that she would take a few with her.

Alex for his part knew that it was possible that Buffy could kill him. She was a Slayer after all, with seven plus years of experience. She had faced down bigger and more fearsome foes than him. While he might be Kindred, he knew that that did not make him a god or invulnerable. Buffy, of all the people he had ever known, had the ability to kill him.

That being said, he knew that much had changed in the past three years since he had left Sunnydale. Back then he had been an okay fighter, a shade above average, when compared to the more super-powered enemies he had faced on the Hellmouth. There had been times when he had shined, killing vampires and demons that had gotten between and his objective (which usually had been to protect those that he loved), but he had been a regular human back then. Now, he was Kindred, as strong as ten men, according to the lore that had been shoved down his throat after he had been embraced. He had been taught by Cash and others on the fine art of street fighting, dirty hand-to-hand combat, whose cornerstone was the idea of you aren't cheating and you aren't being an asshole, you aren't trying. He had gained in skill and confidence, and could take care of himself, not needing someone else to be there for him, holding his hand and picking him up if he fell. He still fell from time to time, but because of the changes in his life he could pick himself up and go at it again.

However, there was a part of him, the one remaining part of him left over from his humanity, that did not want to kill humans, much less Buffy. While he definitely would not shy away from beating the shit out of a person who deserved it, much less fucking them up for life, he didn't like killing humans and if he were to kill Buffy, she would be his first. That single thought alone made him incredibly sad.

Despite all of that, he knew that Buffy wouldn't hesitate to kill him. She only saw him as a monster; she did not have any qualms against killing him. Therefore, he had to put on his big boy pants and suck it up.

He had a responsibility to his friends and, especially, to Emily. Emily was the one person who truly understood him, kept him sane and balanced, she was his best friend. She didn't see him as an idiot that needed to be protected from him self and the big bad in the real world. She trusted him and stood by at his side as he was blowing the brains out of a demon. It was sweet. He owed it to her to come out of this alive (well, as alive as Kindred could be).

Now here he was, facing down Buffy, preparing to kill or be killed; definitely not how he would have imagined things to go down seven years ago, when they first met. _What a crazy, fucked up life I have,_ he thought to himself.

Buffy for her part was truly focused on killing the demon-Xander. She didn't think about the past, how they had once been friends. She had killed Ford, her old friend from Hemry High, and she could do Xander the same favor she had extended to the guy who had tried to sacrifice her on order to save himself from dying of cancer. She couldn't waste the time, or allow herself to be distracted. Being cold was a better option; emotions would get in the way of what she had to do. The fight was everything and the only thing she could care about, least she fail.

Buffy ran at him, crossing the ten some-odd feet that separated them, intending to punch him. Instead, Alex disrupted her plan by moving in a few feet on her, messing up her game plan, and literally beat her to the punch. He punched Buffy in the face, causing her head to snap back and her to stagger backwards. Her nose broke instantly, blood running out of her nose in crimson rivulets.

The Slayer however was incredibly tough, easily able to rebound from the hit, even one as brutal as the one Alex landed squarely on her face. She came back into the fight almost instantly, kicking him hard in the ribs, causing him to stagger back.

Alex felt his ribs give under the force of her kick, feeling a sudden flash of fire spreading in his chest, causing him to have difficulty breathing. Pushing aside the pain, for he knew that it was only temporary and he could already feel the bones starting to knit themselves back together, he counter-attacked with jabs, crosses, and hook punches, some landing, some not.

Buffy also was trying to counter attack, using the most brutal punches and kicks. She also found herself having to block Xander's vicious attacks; some of his punches slipped through her defenses, catching her in the stomach and head. Occasionally she had to spit to clear her mouth of blood and she was afraid that at least two of her teeth were loose. Her only consolation was the sight of blood at Xander's mouth and how he was favoring his left side just a bit, proving that she had delivered just as much as she had taken.

They went back and forth, trading blows and kicks, neither of them gaining an advantage over the other. They both were bloody and battered, but neither of them was willing to give up; they knew that it was a fight to the death and someone had to die to end the fight.

Suddenly, Alex loosened an upper cut punch to Buffy's stomach, causing her to double over slightly, which was just enough for him to knee her in the face, sending her flying backwards.

She flew backwards, landing at least five feet from where she had been, crashing down hard on to her back.

Alex was on her in an instant. Buffy struggled to get up on her own power but was instead yanked to her feet by him. She swung high at him but it was easily blocked and her fist was shoved aside. He then hit her in the throat with a loose backhand, not hard enough to break her neck but just hard enough to stun her, leaving her unable to breath and panicky.

He then spun her around, crushing her back to his chest, his arm looping across her neck in a choke hold.

"I've never killed a human before Buffy," he whispered into her ear, his voice sounding rough and slightly distorted. His vampire bridge work affected his speech. "You'll be my first."

He forced her neck to bend slightly, exposing her blood filled veins. Alex wondered what a Slayer's blood would taste like. Would there be a difference? Would he be able to taste the magic that made her a Slayer?

He opened his mouth wide, exposing his razor-sharp canines. Striking swiftly he bit down, piercing her soft flesh.

Her blood was indeed magical. The taste was more intense than any human's he had ever had before. It was like it had been spiked with rum, but more of a punch than any liquor could have provided. It was also sweet, sweeter than ice cream, chocolate, or even pure granulated sugar.

The experience was intense; her blood filled his mouth and traveled down to his stomach where it was immediately absorbed into his system. The strength of her blood, of a Slayer's blood, filled him but caused his body to crave more, urging him to drain her dry.

The blood itself was delicious, but the strength it carried was intense. He wanted it more than anything, causing a high that could not be compared to anything else. Sex, alcohol, normal feeding, magic, drugs (granted he had no experience with that other than feeding off a couple of junkies) offered no comparison to what he was feeling right then. Right then he knew why it was such a high for a Primorial to feed from and kill a Slayer. He could feel the magic from his hair to his toe nails.

"Harris!" a voice called, commanding attention.

Alex chose to ignore the call, instead focused upon the task of drinking fully from the Slayer, getting as much of her blood inside of him.

"Harris! Stop now!" the voice rang out clearly, familiar yet oddly out of place.

When he again ignored the person, who was vainly trying to interrupt him from his hard won meal, he felt a powerful, iron-hard hand grab him by the arm and fling him away from his meal.

Alex hissed, pissed that someone had interrupted him. From a crouched, ready position, he was a coiled spring, waiting for the chance to finish her off. Alex was determined, if necessary, to go through the asshole that had prevented him from draining the girl dry. He was on the border of being in the state of frenzy, driven crazy by intense emotion and hungry for more of the thrilling liquid that filled the Slayer.

"Back off Harris," the voice directed. "You do not want to do this. As your prince I command it."

Luna.

_Mother-fucking hell_, Alex thought savagely.

* * *

A/N: Holy crap! Writing action, especially fights is really difficult, so I hope I didn't screw it up too much. I did some "research" on how to write a decent fight and what I read said to focus more on the emotion rather than each and every punch and kick. The biggest guidelines I found said to keep it short, keep it simple, and keep it snappy. I hope I did at least an okay job with that.

I based the fight sequence on some of the fights I've been in and sparring that I do (minus the vampires, blood drinking, and super powers of course). Generally, fights seem to last forever if you are in the middle of it, but in all actuality, they don't last all that long. Flat bones are easy to break (I've broken my ribs and nose at least four times each due to getting hit, kicked, and a couple of accidents). I wanted to add some realism and not turn it into a Woo Ping/Hong Kong action flick. I _know_ I can't write that.

I am sorry that I did not have Xander ripping Buffy's heart out and eating it, or vice versa. However, there's still time and he hasn't found out about his daughter. Hee-hee! Thank you to everyone for their suggestions (though some of you I wonder about – you seem to have a lot of pent up anger…just kidding). They helped to spawn ideas and help me get over a hump or two with the writing process. So, thank you. Also, thank you for the reviews, putting me on your lists, and continuing to read my stuff.

Anyway, if you so feel inclined to make a person's day brighter, hit the shiny review button and tell me what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: Potty language

* * *

Alex hissed again and was ready to barrel through Luna, but unfortunately for him several beings tacked him from behind, shoving him to the ground, preventing him from moving any further.

Luna turned from the pissed off Gangrel to the human girl that was holding a hand over her neck, attempting to stem the flow of blood, and trying to scramble away from this new person. "Get up," he ordered her. When she failed to follow his command, Cash reached down and yanked her to her feet.

They looked over at Alex, who currently had Lonnie, Paul, and Cavan sitting on him while Emily was struggling to keep his hands apart from each other. They were all worried that he would use the magic that was at his disposal to do something drastic, catching Luna in the crossfire, so to speak. They had once seen him incinerate a Nagas demon, with just a thought, a few simple words, and a waving of the hands. They did not want to see that happen to Luna.

Luna turned to Cash. "Deal with your childe. I'll take care of her."

Cash handed Buffy off to Luna and went over to Alex and gestured for Emily to move to the side. He crouched down so that he could see his face. "Alex, you need to chill. Don't let the Beast control you, please," he said his voice cool, hiding his true feelings. He had great affection for his childe and hated to see him loose it like this.

All Alex could do is snarl incoherently at his sire, clearly beyond reason at this point.

Cash sighed and stood up. With a swift, sharp kick to the face, Alex was out cold.

"Done," Cash called back to the Prince of the city.

Luna rolled his eyes. _Do other Princes have this big of a headache_, he silently asked himself.

"Miss Summers, my name is Julian Luna and we have much to talk about," he said, formally and politely, but it was easy to hear the edge in his voice. This was clearly not the time to tell him no.

Luna took hold of Buffy's arm and gently, but firmly, led her away from the other Gangrels.

Cash, barked a few orders at Cavan to make sure that Alex's bike did not get left behind after the party, picked up Alex's form and slung him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Em, let's go," he called out to his blood-sister.

Emily simply sighed and followed the others back through the woods, past the partiers and out to a parking lot where Luna's limo sat. A Ventrue stood there by the vehicle, clearly not thrilled to be at a Gangrel party but willing to do his duty and serve the Prince.

They all climbed into the limo: Luna, Cash with Alex in tow, Emily, and Buffy. Already sitting in the limo was the Ventrue Primogen, Sonny Toussaint. It was crowded, not leaving much room for grand movements. It was also a handy means of trapping the Slayer, preventing her from escaping.

"Miss Summers, where are you staying and does anyone else know about Alex and the Kindred?" he calmly asked, staring directly at her, making it clear that lying was not going to help her.

Buffy sighed. She knew that she was going to die, but she did not want the others, especially Dawn, to die because of her arrogance and stupidity. "Are you going to kill them?" she asked.

"Whether or not they die has not been decided. I ask again," he said coolly, brushing microscopic lint off his black Armani jacket, "who else knows."

"We're staying at the Hyatt in room 615, my friends Willow and Tara, along with my sister Dawn and a little girl. Her name is Alexia," she whispered. She knew lying about it wouldn't help anything, but she didn't want to fully disclose who the girl belonged to. She only hoped that they would think she belonged to one of the others. She was still convinced that these vampires or Kindred as they liked to call themselves, were demons and she would do what she could to prevent them from taking the girl for themselves.

Luna snapped open cell phone and spoke rapidly into it, telling a lieutenant to go to the Hyatt, collect the others, and to bring them back to his house.

Once that was taken care of, he hit the end button, killing the phone. "Here, use this to stop the bleeding. You won't bleed to death, but the smell is bothering me," Luna said, offering Buffy a handkerchief.

She took it, albeit reluctantly, still not trusting the demon. She pressed the cloth to her neck, hoping that her Slayer healing ability would kick in and the blood flow would soon stop. She felt light headed enough and did not need to lose any more than she already had.

Buffy briefly thought about demanding that the vampires answer her questions, but seeing the looks on everyone's face, especially the one called Emily (who looked as if she were glaring daggers at her), called for caution, so she remained silent.

The ride to wherever they were going was long and was passed in silence.

Soon they pulled into a long winding driveway that led to what could easily be described as a mansion. The house was lit up with a warm orange-colored glow and figures could be seen milling about, despite the late hour. According to Buffy's watch it was almost 1:30 in the morning.

She was led into the house by Luna and was surrounded by other vampires. The wild one, the one she remembered from the demons' lair, hauled Xander out of the limo; he was still unconscious and Cash carried him into the mansion.

She was taken into a study, one that fairly screamed wealth and power. The walls were covered with filled bookcases that gleamed with varnish and age, and portraits and landscapes that looked as if they had been painted by masters of long ago. The highly polished wooden floor was covered almost entirely by a Persian rug that looked old and expensive, but was still in good repair. The place easily beat Angel's mansion and Spike's crypt hands down. Clearly these vampires enjoyed wealth and luxury.

There was a mahogany desk towards the rear of the study that was flanked by several high-back leather chairs. In the chairs were Willow, Tara, and Dawn. Alexia was curled up asleep on a sofa near-by, her dark brown hair cascading across her cherubic face. Willow and Tara were holding each other's hands, looking terrified, but relieved to see their friend was still alive.

"Buffy!" Dawn exclaimed and rushed into her sister's arms, their differences temporarily forgotten. Both sisters were incredibly glad to see each other.

"Ladies," Luna called for attention as he sat down behind his desk, looking very much like the autocrat he was.

"Where's Xander?" Dawn asked as Cash brought the comatose Gangrel into the room. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Me?" Buffy protested. "He was about to kill me then him," she gestured towards Luna, "stopped him."

"I assure you I didn't stop him for your sake, but for ours. Cash, wake Harris up, but if he's not under control, kick him again please," Julian said coldly. He liked Alex very much, most people did – he was an easy guy to like, but he did not want a rampaging Gangrel trashing his home. The expense of the repairs alone would not be worth it.

Cash unceremoniously dumped Alex's body on the floor. He bent down again and gently slapped his childe's face, calling to him.

Eventually Alex started to come around. "Go 'way you bastard," he mumbled and turned over, trying to avoid Cash's summons.

"Alex, wake your lazy self up," Cash ordered and slapped him again, this time harder.

Cash went to slap him again, but was halted in mid swing by Alex's crushing grip.

"Knock it off! My head hurts enough already. What the fuck happened?" he groaned and struggled to sit up. Cash and Emily moved to help him into a sitting position.

"Watch your mouth buddy, there's a kid here," Emily ordered him, brushing his hair back, looking at the ghastly bruise that had formed across his face, courtesy of Cash's boot. She knew that it was only temporary and his Kindred healing abilities would take care of it quickly, but she hated to see him hurt never-the-less.

"Kid?" Alex asked, confused. He looked around and spotted a small figure underneath a quilt on a near-by couch. "Where -," he started to ask but suddenly it all came roaring back to him: the assassination attempt on him, the fight with Buffy, drinking her blood, being stopped by Luna., going a tad crazy, and getting kicked in the face by Cash.

"Did you really have to kick me that hard?" he asked, looking up at his sire with a hurt expression on his face.

"Yeah, of course I did, ass. You were totally out of control and wouldn't listen to reason. As a result, I did what I thought would be the best course of action: I booted you unconscious you jackass. It's not my fault you went as crazy as a shithouse rat."

"You too, watch your mouth," Emily scolded her Primogen, looking at him crossly. Normally she didn't have a problem with cussing, but she definitely did not approve of it when there was a child around. She had hated it when her parents would use foul language around her and her siblings growing up, and did not feel it was right to expose a child to coarse language.

"Yes ma'am," Cash smiled mockingly at her and snapped off a smart-ass salute. He loved his blood sister to death and easily tolerated her cheek. Beside, she was right.

"Xan-Xander," Tara offered, shaking off Willow's hand and ignoring the death looks coming from both Willow and Buffy. She was sick of the lies and she had a pretty good feeling that these people, Kindred, were not the big bad that Buffy and Willow had made them out to be. "This is Alexia, your daughter."

"Huh?"

"A little over two years ago Anya gave birth to a little girl and she insisted that she was yours. O-obviously she looks just like you, only girl-like. You-you aren't a demon are you?" Tara offered.

"I have a daughter?" Alex whispered, looking at the small figure with wonder and amazement.

"Yeah, you do. With Anya dead, you are her legal guardian. Your name is on the birth certificate and everything. Are you a demon?" she asked again, her voice soft but firm.

"We are not demons young lady," Luna called from behind the desk, causing Tara to turn around and look at him. He gestured for her to return to her seat, leaving Alex to stare at his new found daughter.

"We refer to ourselves as Kindred. The word vampire is a very crude and simple term for our kind and doesn't begin to explain who we are. Since you all are from Sunnydale and are probably not familiar with anything other than the Primordial vampires that flock to Hellmouths and other places of negativity, I will forgive your ignorance. In fact your ignorance is proof that our Masquerade is working," Luna smoothly explained.

"I don't get it," Buffy said, looking at the Prince with confusion and distrust. "We saw him drinking blood. Hello, he was drinking mine," she said, ignoring the gasps coming from Willow, Tara, and Dawn. "If that doesn't scream vampire, then I don't know what does."

Luna sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been looking forward to a night of music, wine, and romance with Caitlin, but no, he had to deal with nosey humans and an arrogant, pain-in-the-ass Slayer. He briefly wondered if it would just be better to kill all of them, except for the blonde witch and the teenager, they seemed to be the most stable out of the four. The redhead, it appeared to him, was excitable and a powerful witch though her source of power seemed unstable and dangerous. Daedelus would understand it better than him, but he figured that the Nosferatu's appearance would only agitate things further.

The Slayer, she was a real and tangible threat to the Kindred. He had heard of Slayers before, but they had always focused upon Primordial vampires and ignored his kind in the past. This one however had found out about their kind and had lumped the Kindred in with the demons and monsters that she regularly hunted.

He had two options. He could kill her, thus ending the immediate threat to the Masquerade. However, if he did that, he would then open the Kindred up to a war with future slayers and her council of Watchers. They would immediately place a high priority on destroying Kindred instead of ignoring and over-looking them as they had done in the past. Also, she might have told others about them, other than the ones currently sitting in his study, thus exposing them to further danger. His other option, as distasteful as it sounded, would be to be as open and honest with the Slayer and her friends, hopefully convincing them that they were not a threat to humanity. With that, he would hopefully be able to convince them to keep quiet and preserve the Masquerade.

"By all rights I should kill all of you for what you've tried to do tonight," he announced, looking cross at the humans. "You declared war on a member of the Kindred. You attempted to kill three of our kind tonight. Luckily it takes a bit more than a wooden stake to the heart to kill us. We do not tolerate outsiders learning about us, much less assassination attempts. By all rights, I should order your deaths."

Buffy looked stricken. "You can't kill the others. Dawn and Tara were not really involved in any of this and I pushed Willow into helping me."

Luna held up a hand to stop the Slayer from trying to protect the others. "Be that as it may, yours and their knowledge of the Kindred presents us with some problems. We have not survived since the beginning of time by advertising our presence to the world. We have hidden from society for many years, living among humans, participating in history, but always remaining veiled from general consciousness. We especially stayed away from Slayers and your Watcher Society, preferring that you focus upon Primordial vampires. Those we don't mind seeing killed for they threaten our secrecy and give us a bad name."

"You're worried about getting bad press?" Buffy snorted, her arms crossed across her chest.

Luna glared at her, not liking her sarcasm. "We stay to the shadows, governing ourselves. We do not allow interference from outsiders, especially humans whose sole purpose in life is to destroy what she does not understand. Now I could easily kill the lot of you and not feel one ounce of remorse, but that would leave me with some problems. I am sure that your people would come and look for us, thus creating a war I am reluctant to fight. Your kind traditionally helps to keep the demonic population down to manageable levels so that is a plus in your favor."

"So what are you going to do now? We shake hands, part company, and promise to be good," Buffy asked, not really sure where this was going.

"Buffy, would you shut your god-damn mouth for once," Dawn hissed at her sister, not wanting Buffy's sarcastic attitude ruining her chance at growing old. "What do you propose Mr. Luna?" she then asked the prince.

Luna smiled, immediately liking the younger girl. "We let you go on the condition that you keep this entire thing a secret, telling no one, and that Miss Summers owes me a favor for each of your lives in return. Call it an alliance of sorts."

"I would owe you a favor? What, I would have to turn a blind eye to you killing innocent humans?"

"Miss Summers, we do not support the killing of humans like Primordials. We do not have to kill when we feed. We prefer to take what we need, make them forget the encounter, and let them go on their way, none the wiser."

"Xander here tried to kill me," she protested.

"You tried to kill me first. And it's not like you're really innocent," Alex piped up from where he stood, looking extremely pissed off.

"Well, I thought you were bad and possessed by a demon," she said, defending herself.

Dawn elbowed her sister, cutting off the potential argument between the two. "Mr. Luna, speaking for Tara and myself," she glared at Willow and Buffy, "we told them that this was a bad idea. I personally don't want to die because some a-holes decided they knew best."

Luna couldn't help but smile at the girl's blunt honesty. "I understand that. However, the problem lies with your sister and her friend," he said gesturing towards Buffy and Willow.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to die, but neither of them felt as if this Luna guy or any of the others under his domain were trust worthy.

"Why should we believe you? What's to keep you from killing us or the others when we least expect it?" Buffy demanded.

"I would prefer it if we could find some sort of common ground. However, clearly you need time to think about this," Luna said, rising to stand behind his desk. "I have some business I need to attend to and I will need Cash's help too. Perhaps Emily here could take your daughter here to one of the guest rooms where she would be more comfortable." He stepped out from behind the desk and crossed the room. Just before he exited the room, he turned to look at all of them. "Please try to be civil to each other and don't destroy my study. Several of my books are first editions and irreplaceable."

"Are you going to be okay?" Emily asked, squeezing Alex's hand.

"I guess," Alex muttered, glaring at his former Sunnydale friends.

"Behave yourself and remember: no incinerating anyone. Luna will not be happy if his carpet is ruined. I'll take the Alexia," she said the name with a trace of longing in her voice, "upstairs and put her in the corner room, far away from Sasha's and stay with her."

"Thanks," Alex said, gently brushing back her dark bangs from her face.

Emily bent down and scooped the sleeping child into her arms.

Buffy made a noise of protest and moved to keep her from taking the child but was stilled by a gentle, but firm hand on her arm. She looked down and saw that hand belonged to Tara.

"Y-you need to stop this now Buffy. They aren't going to harm her," she said and then turned to Emily. "If it is okay with you, I'll join you in watching over Alexia. I don't need to be here."

Emily smiled and nodded at the blonde witch. The girl, in her opinion, had the common sense that the redhead and the Slayer were surely lacking.

"Hey, I don't need to be here either," Dawn piped up. "These two do. Xander, I'm sorry Buffy was such a bitch and I am glad you're okay."

Alex smiled at the girl. "Thanks Dawn-patrol," he said, using his nickname for her.

The three, Emily, Tara, and Dawn, with Alexia asleep in Emily's arms, left the room, leaving Buffy and Willow alone with Alex.

* * *

A/N: A bit transitory here with this chapter; next chapter will deal with the three original Scoobies hashing things out. Things could get ugly. I hope this chapter was decent enough and did not completely suck.

Thank you to those of you that keep reading my story and offer up some wonderful feedback. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, words of encouragement, and ideas that you help spawn. Also, thank you to those that have put me on your lists.

Anyhow, be a pal and hit the shiny review button and tell me what you think.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: _Lots_ of potty language

* * *

"Were you ever going to tell me about Alexia?" Alex asked coldness in his voice they had never heard before.

Willow looked between the two of them, uncertain how would be best to answer Xander's question. Buffy looked pissed while Xander looked furious, bordering on homicidal. She wasn't sure what she could say that wouldn't end up with someone getting hurt or dead.

She had her options. She could stay quiet, letting Buffy answer for herself, letting her did her own grave, so to speak. Or, she could answer Xander's question either with lies or brutal honesty. If she lied, she was sure Xander would know that she was lying; he had always known growing up when she was lying. If she were straightforward with him, he could loose it on them. _Damned if you, damned if you don't_, she acknowledged to her self.

"At first we were going to tell you, but you left the diner before we got a chance and you were Mister Evasive. Then we found out you were involved in killing demons as a hobby, I wasn't going to leave a child with someone that was involved in something dangerous. Anya wouldn't have wanted that so I had to make sure that Alexia's father wasn't out doing something stupid," Buffy said, taking Willow's options away from her. She plowed ahead, unmindful of the potential rage that was building in her old friend. "Turns out I was right. You had gone and done something unbelievably retarded. You went and made yourself a vampire. Congratulations, I hope it was worth it."

"You listen up bitch," Alex snarled, advancing slightly upon the Slayer. "Yeah, it was worth it. I found someone who loves me, respects me, and doesn't find it necessary to tear me down to make herself feel better. It gave me a chance to get the hell out of Sunnydale and away from people that would have probably gotten me killed."

"But you became a vampire!" Willow interjected, unable to stop herself. "How could you after Jesse and everything? At least they never had a choice; you willingly allowed this to happen to you. Couldn't you have just left and gotten a normal life like anyone else?"

"Don't you fucking dare bring up Jesse! I'm the one that had to stake our friend. All you did was cry and get tons of sympathy. Poor Willow; none of you ever thought about poor Xander – the guy whose first up-close, personal encounter with a vampire resulted in the staking of his childhood best bud. I would have never willingly joined the Primordials, especially after Jesse and the nightmare that Angelus was so kind to give us," Alex yelled, mad as all hell and he definitely wasn't going to take it anymore.

"But you never said anything," Buffy said, looking exasperated, her hands on her hips, acting put-out.

"What was there to say and to whom? You - no you were too worried about your dwindling popularity. Willow was too worried about impressing you and becoming your best friend. Giles was barely tolerant of us at the time, not at all happy that we were involved in slayer activities. After that, things kept getting in the way and my feelings became less and less important to you. I became the doughnut guy, the one you called for rides and to fix shit you had broken. Never once did any of you even have the decency to say thank you, not even once," he spat glaring at Buffy, his hands clenching and unclenching in barely suppressed rage.

"Fuck, you all could be so damn self-centered. It was always about you, everything. When Angel lost his soul, you went all weepy and tragic. Did you even acknowledge that it was your fault? Hell you couldn't even bring yourself to stop him, despite the fact that you had a responsibility to end it. How many people had to die because you felt bad? Did you even know that I lost three friends, not close ones but they were friends, none-the-less because you decided that giving it up to Angel was your way of showing that you love him and that you were an adult? I had to fucking lie to you to get you to do something, after he had killed Jenny, tortured Giles, threatened all of us, and plotted to destroy the world. Christ, you could be so thick headed at times!"

"You never said a thing to anyone. How were we supposed to know?" Buffy demanded. "I don't read minds you know. Besides, what happened to Angel wasn't my fault."

"Yes it was and you could have asked," he snapped.

"So you got ignored, big deal. People get ignored all the time. What about the way you ignored us, just up and leaving? You bitch about us ignoring you, but what about us?" Buffy yelled.

"Yeah, people get ignored all the time, but generally not by those that are supposed to be his best friends. I didn't ignore you by leaving Sunnydale. When I told you guys three years ago that I was moving to San Francisco, you sat in the Magic Box and laughed at me. Then you yelled at me for leaving you," he said, looking squarely at Buffy. "At least Dawn had the courtesy of saying something. At least she and Giles showed up that morning to say good-bye to me. You didn't even bother."

"What about Anya? You left her alone and pregnant," Willow said, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"What about Anya? She wasn't in love with me. She and I both knew it. Also, I didn't know that she was pregnant. Do you really think I would have just left her if I knew? At the very least, I would have seen to it that she moved off the Hellmouth with my kid. How could you think I would be such a bastard? My mom knew how to get in touch with me. Anya could have asked her. Hell, you guys could have called, but you didn't. I came back two years ago when my father was killed and I ran into Giles. He didn't say anything and when I saw you guys around town, I never saw anything that would lead me to believe that I had a daughter. Hell, I ran into Spike and that bastard sure as all hell didn't say a damn thing."

"You should have stopped in and seen us," Buffy argued.

"Oh that would have been great!" Alex laughed bitterly. "A Gangrel walking into a magic store on a Hellmouth and confronting old friends who may or may not realize something would be off about him and then probably try to kill him. Christ that sounds like a bad joke or something."

Buffy stood there, shaking her head. "I don't know about Spike, but we promised Anya that we wouldn't say anything about Alexia. It was her choice and we wanted to respect that."

"So you chose to honor a request from an ex-vengeance demon, someone that you had known for about two years, rather than trying to find a way to be honest with someone, might I add Willow, you've known since we were five years old? What kind of fucked up logic do you guys operate on?"

"You weren't there!" Willow shouted. "You left me. You didn't even care."

"I left because I got pushed away and I ended up finding something better: love. You found Tara and did I object to that? Did I even say one thing about it? Nope. I understood and supported you. You wouldn't do the same for me, too worried about making sure Buffy wanted you around. I got tired of it, got tired of being made into a Zeppo by a bunch of abusive, neglectful, and thick wanna-be superheroes," he criticized.

"Yeah, well," Buffy fumed, "you got yourself a nice power-up. We're you so jealous of those of us with powers you had to go out and get yourself some?"

Alex snorted. "Yeah, I was jealous. That's it totally. You finally got it right Buffy," he said, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"No, you dumb ass. I looked at you and saw what a burden having Slayer powers were for you. Why would I want that? And Willow, she would continuously get in over her head with magic to the point of abusing it. Somehow I even doubt you know the meaning of the Threefold Law, let alone practice it. You fucking used magic for personal gain to find out about me and my past. If that isn't an abuse of power, then what is? What I got, other than the Kindred stuff, is something that apparently had been around forever, but the Hellmouth blocked my abilities. Beside, getting a power-up from the embrace had nothing to do with anything. I wanted to be with Emily and this was the only way."

"So you gave up your soul for some skank," Buffy sneered.

Before she could even blink, Alex slapped her across her face, leaving a bright pink hand mark across her face. "Don't you ever say that about Emily," he hissed, standing right in her face.

Willow looked slightly stricken that Buffy would say such a thing, considering her skanky behavior in the past (a.k.a.: screwing Spike). "That was out of line Buffy," she said softly.

"Oh, now you stand up to her when no one else is around," Alex turned on his old friend. "Tell me Wills, did you stand up to her when she got the asinine idea of calling all of the potential Slayers? How many times did you tell her no when she came up with a fucked up plan of handling a demon or a bunch of vampires? Too little, too late," Alex growled.

Willow looked away, ashamed of her weakness, ashamed at having it pointed out so harshly and blatantly. She wanted to say that she was sorry, but she knew that it would be hollow sounding and lame. Instead she stood there, letting the tears silently roll down her cheeks.

Buffy, however, would not let go of her pride. "You weren't there; you don't know what it was like."

Alex shrugged. "No, I wasn't," he conceded looking above her head (which wasn't that hard to do since she was so short), focusing on a painting that looked vaguely Impressionistic, "but I can imagine. Things were super bad and then you got an idea and that was the only one you would consider. You're a creature of habit Buffy."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him, disgusted. "Yeah, well, you're one hell of a creature yourself _Alex_. Tell me, do you like being some blood sucking monster? Is it everything you'd hoped it would be? You hated them for so long and now look at you. You've gone and joined the club – got the secret handshake and ring too," Buffy shot back, her anger and disgust evident.

"How many times do you have to be fucking told that we are not monsters? I have a soul; I know the difference between right and wrong, and more importantly I actually care! Hell, I even have a reflection. Soulless creatures do not have one," he yelled.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Buffy shot back, equally as loud.

"You don't. There's no way I can think of that will prove that I have a soul," Alex admitted. "So where does that leave us?"

"I don't know," she said, reducing her voice to a more civilized level, though the animosity was still present in her voice.

"Maybe Giles would know of a way," Willow offered, hope in her voice. She really wanted things to be okay between the three of them. _Maybe_, she thought, _that if Xander could prove that he was good, then things could go back to the way they were in the past._

"No."

"No? What do you mean by that? Giles knows tons of stuff. He should know a way to sort this out," Willow said, confused. Her idea made perfect sense and he was rejecting it.

"You can't tell Giles," Alex said. "The Kindred have not survived over time by announcing their presence to the world, least of all the head Watcher of a super secret organization that is dedicated to getting rid of the more supernatural elements in the world Also, I am not going to have it be my fault that the Kindred go public. I will not be responsible for destroying the Masquerade."

"Yes but there were humans at that party that clearly knew about you guys. What makes them knowing different from Giles knowing?" Buffy asked, frowning at him.

"They're trusted, members of the Herd. You don't become a member of the Herd if there isn't trust built between them and us. There is no trust built between the Kindred and the Watchers," Luna interjected, walking in through the door, "or Slayers."

"You were listening?" Buffy scornfully asked, glaring at the Prince, offended that he would spy on them.

Luna offered up a slight smile. "This is my home. It is my right to know what is going on in it. While I thought I would be good for Alex here to deal with some issues from the past, I was more interested to learn whether or not you could be trusted with our secrets."

"And can we?" Buffy snapped; her head cocked to one side, defiant in her pose.

"No," he replied, his voice cold.

"And what are you going to do about it?" she replied, ignoring the urgent looks coming from Willow.

"This," was Luna's answer.

Immediately, Buffy's and Willow's worlds went black.

* * *

A/N: There was a lot of rage I wanted to show between Alex, Willow, and Buffy, especially with the Alex-Buffy dynamic. I hope I was able to decently show that and didn't go overboard with it or underplay it.

I will say that the part about Xander returning to Sunnydale two years in the past is part of a story, and interlude, that I wrote concerning the death of his father (yes, I know that his father was alive in the show, but this is my twisted AU we are talking about). There's a back story there but it hasn't been typed up yet and is currently waiting in my notebook for that to happen.

Thank you to all of you that have left reviews and sent me PMs concerning this story. Daemondeathstone, you have a wicked sense of justice; Chi Vayne: thanks for your ideas and you really shouldn't think like me – it's not healthy (it may lead to sleeplessness, headaches, and projectile vomiting). Seriously though, thank you.

So how about you all be a pal and hit the shiny review button and put some joy back in my life.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: potty language

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work? I don't want to wake up one day and find myself dead," Alex asked, looking over at Daedelus who was busy mixing a bunch of herbs together and placing them in two leather sachets. The fearsome Nosferatu moved his long and gnarled fingers with a surprisingly intricate delicacy.

Daedelus sighed once again. "Of course I am sure. I have checked and rechecked everything, many times. I know what I am doing. Of course, if you would complete your studies, you could easily be doing this yourself. You wouldn't need me for this," he admonished the young Gangrel.

Alex muttered something unintelligible under his breath, briefly wondering if it would actually be easier to kill Buffy and Willow, rather than alter their memories. Granted the fall out would be disastrous and the small fact that Dawn and Tara would both be pissed at him made him see the folly of that desire. Plus there was the big part of him that knew that he couldn't do it now. He knew it would destroy him, killing him more than the embrace ever had.

He was also having feelings that he was a massive hypocrite for messing with Buffy's and Willow's memories. He had been pissed when he found out that his memories of Dawn had been false, that someone had screwed with his mind. Now the circle was complete, he felt. He was going to mess with their minds, altering their memories, doing something that on a philosophical level, he objected to. However, he knew that the Masquerade had to be preserved, that that was more important than his personal feelings. The Kindred had to survive and he did not want to be the one responsible for its destruction. Therefore, all personal considerations had to be pushed aside and serve the greater good.

They were standing in Luna's dining room, Buffy's and Willow's bodies were resting on top of the dining table, having no other place where they could perform this spell. Both women were in a sleep-like state, unable to resist what was about to happen to them.

Daedelus placed the full sachets by the mortals' heads and placed small black boxes on their chests. The boxes were plain and wooden with hinged lids on them. There were no carvings or inscriptions on them marking them as unusual or magical tools.

The member of the Nosferatu clan looked over at the younger Kindred. "Are you ready?"

Alex let out a heavy sigh and looked over at where Dawn, Tara, and Luna were standing. Dawn and Tara looked at him with hope and an understandable amount of worry in their eyes. Luna, always cold, nodded at the two, wanting this affair to be over and done as soon as possible.

"They won't be hurt because of this, will they?" Dawn asked.

Alex looked at the young girl and tried to smile reassuringly at her, but at the same time, he didn't want to lie to her. There had been enough lying already. "I don't think so Dawn but I can't say for sure," he said.

Tara placed a reassuring hand on her young friend's arm. "This should work. They're going to sort through their memories and destroy anything related to the Kindred. It's a pretty straight forward spell."

"They won't be vegetables, will they?" Dawn asked, having a sudden vision of pushing Buffy around in a wheelchair, changing her diapers, and contemplating smothering her with a pillow.

Alex shrugged. "I can't give any guarantees, but this should work. Now hush so I can do this," he said, turning back to face Willow's and Buffy's prone forms.

He put a hand on each of them, resting lightly on their foreheads. Concentrating, Alex focused upon his old, childhood friend, quietly entering her mind. Since he could not split his mind between the two consciousnesses, Daedelus was helping to bridge the gap between him and Buffy. The elder Kindred also placed his hands on Buffy, serving as a path for Buffy's and Alex's consciousness to meet upon. Despite what Tara had said earlier, it was not an easy thing to do and was far from being a straight forward spell.

At first he was in darkness, surrounded by it on all sides: his own mind. Slowly brightness appeared and seemed to grow: Willow's consciousness. He didn't know if he was walking towards it or it was rushing to meet him, but soon the darkness and the light met in a great cataclysmic event, shattering each realm and creating a new one.

He found himself in a classroom that he instantly recognized as his kindergarten classroom. There were tiny desks grouped in sets of four, with bright and happy name tags decorating the tops of each desk.

_Alexander, Willow, Jesse, and Harmony_, he read. _My God, I totally forgot that Harmony sat with us until she and Willow had gotten in a massive fight over who had the cuter lunchbox. Something about Care Bears versus the Smurfs,_ he reminisced, taking in the scene before him.

He then looked at the walls, clearly seeing student work proudly displayed on bulletin boards that were decorated with brightly colored paper and borders. Alex recognized a finger painting he had done, detailing his family, showing a mom, dad, son, and a dog named Howie.

_I had totally forgotten about Howie,_ Alex mentally smacked himself. _He was a good dog, sweet and lovable, with big brown eyes and floppy ears. Howie died when I was seven_, he continued_. I woke up one morning and I found him in the backyard, stiff and cold. What was weird was that Howie had two identical tear marks in his neck, like as if he had been attacked by another animal. Animal my ass,_ he suddenly though, _a vampire killed my dog! Those fucking bastards!_

"I remember Howie and watch your language," a familiar voice said, interrupting his trip down memory lane.

Alex looked around and saw the adult version of Willow sitting cross-legged on the alphabet carpet with a copy of Green Eggs and Ham open on her lap.

"I would not, could not with a mouse; I would not, could not in a house; I do not like green eggs and ham; I do not like them Sam-I-am," Alex quoted as he sat down in the reading area.

"I would not, could not in a box; I would not, could not with a fox," Willow agreed and shut the book. "We're missing someone."

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door and a pale and drawn Buffy entered, holding a hall pass in the shape of a brick with a rooster painted on it. "I was sent here," she said, confused as to where and why she was there.

Willow smiled and waved her over. She patted the carpet next to her, indicating that Buffy was to come over to them.

Buffy, came over and sat down with the friends, creating a triangle with their knees touching one another. "So guys, what's going on?"

"Why are we here?" Alex asked, looking at the classroom library, mentally cataloguing Dr. Seuss, Jumanji, Where the Wild Things Are, Curious George, The Stupids, and other well-worn books.

"This is where Xander and I met and is one of my most favorite times in life," Willow shrugged. "It's safe here."

"Too bad other places aren't as safe as this," Buffy agreed, looking at the miniature desks and educational toys in the room. "We grow up and the world becomes a dangerous place. Things change."

Alex looked at the women sadly. "Things always change. Things are ending and beginning," he cryptically said, not meaning to be cryptic-boy.

"Our knowing is dangerous," Willow said.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. "I don't have much of a choice here. You two are a threat to the Kindred."

"Xander, did we really treat you so bad?" Buffy asked.

Alex nodded, but he did not want to hurt them anymore than he already had and would. "We all changed and none of us were prepared for it. I think we all wanted everything to stay as it had been, and when it didn't you guys pushed me away out of fear and I lashed out in anger due to my fear of getting left behind."

"When did you get so deep?" Buffy asked a smile on her lips. All of her anger, disgust, and hate were gone. It seemed pointless and was too big of a burden to carry around. Besides, no one could have those kinds of feelings in a room where the walls were robin-egg blue and had a rainbow mural painted on them.

"I read Celestial tea boxes as a hobby," he shrugged, deflecting their praise, retreating to his old jokester personae.

"For what it's worth Xander, I am sorry," Buffy said, absently worrying the seam on her jeans with her thumb.

"I am too. I never meant to be such a bad friend to you," Willow added.

"I'm sorry too guys. I shouldn't have been such an ass to you Will and Buffy, I am really sorry that I tried to kill you. I was a totally dick for doing it," he humbled himself by apologizing.

Buffy snorted. "I deserved it. Crap, I tried to kill you first. You had every right to be pissed. I am also sorry about not telling you about Alexia."

Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "I can't say that I am happy that you guys didn't tell me about her but there's nothing I can do about it. I know about her now, so I guess I'll just have to go from there." He suddenly felt overwhelmed at the thought of being a father, facing all of the responsibilities that came with the title.

"You'll be a great father Xander," Buffy said, immediately understanding the look on his face. "I have no problem leaving her in your custody."

"So you believe that I have a soul," he asked. There was no malice in his voice with that statement.

"I can feel your soul now Xander," Willow chimed in. "It's a bit damaged and dark, but you are a good person despite all of the tattoos, earring, and vampire stuff. You'll do just fine."

Alex tried to blink away the tears that were forming in his eyes; manly tears, of course. "I'm going to miss you guys. I mean, we haven't spoken in three years, but now it's going to be for good."

"Me too," Buffy said, spontaneously hugging him.

"Me three," Willow chimed in, hugging her best friend for the last time, even if it were on some astral plane and not real.

The three of them hung on to each other, none of them wanting to let go, to end the moment between them.

Finally they had to break the hug, knowing that they were only delaying the inevitable.

"Promise me two things," Buffy requested, looking serious.

Alex looked at her sadly. "If I can Buffy; things are pretty complicated."

Buffy smiled. "Promise me that we will remember you, that you won't destroy our memories of you before you left. Let us think you just moved away and that's all."

Alex smiled crookedly at her. "I can do this. What's your second request?"

"If something happens to me and if Dawn needs help you'll look out for her," she asked, her face a mask of seriousness.

"Buffy," Alex began, but was cut off my Buffy.

"Xander, I've cheated death too many times. Eventually it will catch up with me. I know this. I'm not actively looking for it, but I know that the odds are against me living to a ripe old age. I've already been around to long. I just want to know that Dawn will have someone to come to if she needs it."

Alex nodded, "absolutely."

"I have a request too," Willow piped up, her cinnamon colored eyes slightly sad.

"Okay," he said, looking unsure.

"Don't go looking for darkness Xan. It will eat you up. You've done some pretty harsh stuff and I hate to see it destroy that good person that you are. Also, take good care of Alexia. She needs her father."

He smiled, feeling the truth of her words. He had been around some pretty hefty stuff, in Sunnydale and as Kindred. Those experiences weighed heavily on him.

"Only if you do the same Willow," Alex said. "Don't abuse the gift you've been given. Your magic is addictive and dangerous. It could easily get out of control."

"I know. I'll try, but if we aren't even going to remember this conversation, I don't know how good my promise will be," the red-headed witch declared.

"I can leave it as a suggestion in your subconscious," Alex said, looking thoughtful.

"Any parting words of wisdom for me Xander?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I do. Please stop and think about things before you act. You act rashly a lot of times and it's going to get yourself or others killed. Promise me?"

Buffy nodded, hearing the truth of his words. "I will. Take care of yourself. I hope you get everything you want," she said, sensing that their time was drawing to a close.

Alex, also sensing that they needed to get a move on, smiled. "One last Scooby group hug for the Xan-man?" he asked.

"Scoobies always," Buffy and Willow said together and laughed. The three of them wrapped each other in a fierce hug, holding on to the love that had always been there, but too many times ignored.

"I love you guys," Xander said and mentally stepped away, ending their private moment.

After that, Alex was able to go through their memories, targeting and destroying any recollections concerning him and the Kindred. He left intact their memories of him that did not involve his adventures in San Francisco and being Embraced. He still felt like a heel for doing it, but it had to be done in order to preserve the peace.

Once he was done, satisfied that the task was complete and their memories had been successfully altered, he slithered out of their minds and returned to the physical world. He would have collapsed on to the hardwood floor if Cash had not been there to catch him.

"Are you okay?" the Gangrel Primogen asked his childe as he lowered him to a sitting position. "Is it done?"

"Yeah," Alex said shakily. "How long?" he asked.

"Several hours; it's light outside," Daedelus answered, "too late to go back to my abode."

"You are more than welcome to stay here my friend," Luna said.

"Thank you. If it is okay with you, I would prefer to stay in your cellar. I would feel more at home," he murmured and shuffled out of the room, holding his head, mumbling something about pencils and rats.

"I swear," Cash shook his head, "I do not get him."

"Where are Dawn and Tara?" Alex asked from his sitting position on the floor. He was holding his head which felt as if it were going to explode. The spell and the time on the astral plane had taken a lot out of him.

"They are upstairs asleep," Luna disclosed and handed the young Gangrel a bottle of blood to fortify him against the sun's rays. "The night had been too long for the both of them. I'll have someone wake them up. Take these two," he gestured negligently at the Slayer and witch, "back to their hotel. Make sure that they conclude their business in the city and leave soon afterwards. I want this affair to be ended post-haste."

Once he was finished with his bottle of blood, Dawn and Tara came downstairs, followed by Emily, who was carrying Alexia in her arms. Alex couldn't help but smile at how natural and happy Emily looked with the young girl. He knew that Emily's biggest regret was not becoming a mother herself. _Maybe this will help to ease the ache in her heart,_ he thought.

Luna had the limo brought around to the front to take them back to the hotel.

"Miss Maclay, Miss Summers," Luna said standing under the covered section of the entrance to the house, "I wish the both of you the best of luck and I sincerely hope that my trust in the both of you is not ill-placed."

"No, it won't be," Dawn said. "Besides with us knowing, we will know what to avoid if we stumble across something about your people when doing our research thing."

"T-thank you sir," Tara added. "I-I won't betray your trust, sir."

Luna smiled faintly. "I hope so ladies. Good luck," he said and then walked away, disappearing into the house.

Cash and one of Luna's servants came out of the house, carrying the unconscious forms of Buffy and Willow. They were placed in the limo and the others soon followed.

"They'll be okay," Dawn inquired, gesturing at her sister and friend.

"They're just asleep right now. They'll wake up and won't remember a thing," Alex said.

"I'm going to miss you Xander," she then said, looking sad.

"Hey, Luna let you keep your memories. You can still write me or whatever. We can still keep in touch, but of course they can't know. I'll be around if you need me. Both of you," he added, looking at Tara.

"Thank you Xander," Tara said quietly. "I know I'm going to miss the little one. Promise you'll send us pictures." She smiled gently at the sleeping girl. "You're lucky to have her."

"Thank you for taking care of her and tell me about her," Alex said in return.

The rest of the ride back to the hotel was silent, though not uncomfortable. While Emily and Alexia remained down in the limo, Alex, Cash (who was along for the ride), Tara, and carried the sleeping forms of Buffy and Willow up to their rooms. They told the concierge that both women had had a hard night of partying and had drunk way too much. Luckily the man bought that load of bullshit.

Up in the room, Cash and Alex put Buffy and Willow in their beds while Tara and Dawn gathered up Alexia's few belongings.

Alex gave Dawn his cell phone number and told her to call him once their meeting was done with the newly called Slayer. She promised and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks Tara. I'll talk to you guys soon," he said and soon left, leaving the humans behind. He wanted to take his daughter home and put the crazy, fucked up night behind him.

* * *

A/N: Now that I have finished with my state's testing crap - hey, I'm actually a moderate Republican and even I hate this NCLB bullcrap – I can get back to one of my favorite hobbies.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed. I know I've said it before, but I do appreciate it. Also, thank you to those that have put me on their alert lists, favorites, etc. All I can do is say wow and thank you.

This chapter did not turn out the way I intended it to. Originally I had intended to have Alex rip through their minds like a starving dog does to road kill (I've seen that and it was gross – my husband told me that he would kill me if I threw up in the car). However, I went on another tangent for some reason. I did not want a super-duper happy ending, but I wanted some sort of closure for Alex and his feelings. I hope this wasn't too sappy.

Also, the Sam-I-Am part was taken from one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, Green Eggs and Ham (I've been on a Seuss kick for the last week at school celebrating his 103rd birthday). Also, when describing the classroom and the books in it is partially based on my classroom. Yes, I actually do have a rainbow in my room. There is a series of books called The Stupids and they are quite hilarious.

Anyhow, as always, feel free to hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think!

Cheers!


	13. Chapter 13

Epilogue

A/N: Again, I do not own, much to my displeasure, any BTVS or KTE characters you may recognize. I am just borrowing them for a bit and plan on returning eventually, though they might be a bit scuffed. The characters that you do not recognize are mine to use and abuse.

Warning: maybe a little potty language

* * *

The next evening Alex, with Alexia in his arms, was at the airport seeing the former Sunnydale residents off. They were heading to Rome, to the new Watchers' headquarters.

They also had the newly called slayer, Taylor Huff, with them. She was only fifteen, but her parents gave her permission to go with Buffy and the others for training over the summer, but they made her promise to come back in the fall for school.

Other than the slayer bit, she seemed like a normal girl, interested in school, boys, music, and clothes. However, when she was introduced to Alex in the airport as an old friend to the Sunnydale gang, her eyes widened for a second, almost as if she recognized him from somewhere. Her parents also had a similar reaction.

Alex cocked his head to the side, a puzzled look on his face. He could not remember the family, but felt as if he should somehow.

Taylor saved him the pain of wracking his brains and silently mouthed the word "Kindred" at him.

Alex schooled his features carefully, not trusting himself fully to remain collected.

Taylor then mouthed the words "Herd," and "parents" at him and minutely jerked her head at the couple seeing her off.

_Well, crap,_ he thought. _Just when I thought I was done with Slayers, this pops up._

"Good luck Taylor," he said out loud as he shook her hand with his free one.

The girl grinned, knowing things that she shouldn't know but knew to keep quiet about. She then picked up her carry-on, hugged her parents and then got in line for the security check point.

"You take care of my favorite little girl," Buffy said, briefly holding the two year olds hand. "Take care of yourself Xander. I wish you would go with us. It'd be safer."

"You to Buffy," he said, choking back any annoyed stray thoughts. "We'll be fine here, far from any danger."

"Well, I worry, that's all," she said.

"Thanks for worrying, but we'll be fine. Tell the G-man hi for me," Alex said, using his favorite title for the cranky British Watcher. "And take care yourselves."

"Will do," Buffy said and nodded.

"Xander," Willow came next, smiling at her childhood friend. "I'll miss you," she said, then spontaneously hugged him.

"Bye Will. Stay safe, you hear," he said, trying to untangle his self from her embrace. Hugging on the astral plane had been one thing; there hadn't been any massive secrets between them at that point. Now, it didn't feel right, hugging her, after he had stolen her memories. Despite the necessity of it, he didn't like the fact that he had done it.

Willow and Buffy then joined Taylor in line, waiting to have a complete stranger inspect their belongings, making sure that nothing that could be construed as a weapon got on board the plane.

Tara and Dawn had stood back, letting the others go first, wanting a moment of privacy with Alex. Once they were convinced that the witch and two Slayers wouldn't overhear their conversation, Alex spoke up.

"Taylor knows about me," he said, informing them of that little nugget of information. "Apparently her parents are Herd. If you could get her alone at some point and make sure that her info stays sacred, I'd appreciate it."

"Crap," Dawn said, her eyes widening. "Just when you thought you'd be done with Slayers."

"No kidding," he snorted and adjusted Alexia in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, having immediately taken to her father.

"T-take care of you A-Alex," Tara stumbled slightly over his name.

"I will if you do the same," he smiled. "Thank you for everything Tara."

"My pleasure," she said. "Alexia, you take care of your daddy," she then turned to the young girl, fresh tears in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you munchkin." With that, Tara kissed the child, briefly hugged Alex and walked away, leaving Dawn alone with him.

"Dawn-patrol," Alex began, but was cut off by a fierce hug from Dawn.

"I'm going to miss you like crazy. You email me and let me know how Alexia is doing. You promise?"

"I will. And always remember that if you need help, you call me," he said and pressed a card with his numbers and email on it into her hand. "Don't let them get you in over your head Dawn and live your own life. You don't have to grow up and become what they want you to be."

"I will," the teen said, disentangled herself from her old friend. "Tell Emily good-bye for me. Oh and that hottie guy, Cash. He alone would make the expense of coming back to San Francisco worth it." Dawn laughed at the stricken look on his face. Smiling brightly, she kissed his cheek, picked up her backpack and skipped away to join the others.

Alex stood there, watching them briefly go through security and then disappear deeper into the bowels of the airport.

"You ready to go home princess?" he asked his daughter, his beautiful, beautiful daughter.

Alexia's only response since it was easily past her bedtime, was to snuggle deeper into her father's arms.

Alex kissed her head as he too walked away, ready to start his new life with Emily and Alexia.

* * *

A/N: Wow, it's finally done! Thank you to everyone that has given such kind and thoughtful words and support. Thank you especially to Bumpkin, Chi Vayne, Toowhiteprincess, Whispr, Daemondeathstone, Bobboky (always to the point), Mokiefraggle, Trimma, ChaosRonin, Willowfan, Kalistar, Tremerid, LoserPower101, Denaumo, Dracowar, ReflectionsOfReality, Kenshinjagan, DaBear, SARA. Aaron, and Eddie. You guys leaving your thoughts, praises, ideas, and criticisms were always appreciated and helpful. Thank you also to those that read the story, even though you didn't review. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read it. Also, another big thank you to all of you who put me on your lists, it was very cool of you to do so. Virtual cookies and brownies to you all!

I do have a third installment in mind. I thought I knew how I wanted it to be, but with the way things turned out in this story, some of my ideas won't work and have to be massively revamped. It might be a few weeks or so until I start posting it here. I am not really sure since real life has a funny way of rearing its ugly head and forcing me to change my plans.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful and blessed day. It's been a blast. Until later…

Cheers!


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